Citing the urgent need to combat a "severe chronic bias against women", Minister of Social Services Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday the government is committed to advancing women in The Bahamas.

He was responding to a recent report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"The report reveals a chronic bias against women globally over the last decade," Wilchcombe said in a statement.

"The report, which was launched on Monday, states 'no improvement in the level of prejudice shown against women over the past decade'.

"The report also states that half of the people in the world still believe that men make better leaders than women, and more than 40 percent believe that men make better business executives than women."

He added, "The report also revealed that a staggering 25 percent of people believe it is justified for a man to beat his wife.

"The report argues that these biases drive hurdles faced by women, manifesting in a dismantling of women's rights in many parts of the world with movements against gender equality gaining traction and, in some countries, a surge of human rights violations."

The report also noted that there is a "broken link" between women's progress in education and economic empowerment.

"Women are more skilled and educated than ever before, yet even in the 59 countries where women are now more educated than men, the average gender income gap remains a 39 percent in favor of men," the report said.

Wilchcombe said it is clear that change is needed.

"My ministry accepts the UNDP report that emphasizes that governments have a crucial role to play in shifting gender social norms from adopting parental leave policies that have changed perceptions around care work responsibilities, to labor market reforms that have led to change in beliefs for women in the work place," he said.

"The direction of the UNDP gender team felt that it is important to start recognizing the economic value of unpaid care work responsibilities, to labor market reforms that have led to a change in beliefs around women in the workforce.

"The report states that the focus also needs to be on expanding human development through investment, insurance and innovation.

"This includes investing in laws and policy measures that promote women's equality in political participation, such as strengthening social protection and care systems, and encouraging innovative interventions that could be particularly effective in challenging harmful social norms, patriarchal attitudes, and gender stereotypes.

"The report recommended addressing social norms through education to change people's views, policies and legal changes that recognize the rights of women in all spheres of life."

During the 13th Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministerial Meeting, which was recently held in The Bahamas, ministers discussed the "advancement of gender equality and women's empowerment for sustainable development" in the region.

Wilchcombe said there were several agreements made during the meeting, including "removing barriers faced by women to enable their effective participation in the global economy".

The UNDP report noted that despite the biases, change can happen.

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