Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and (631) _______ world. (632) _______. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. This type of violence doesn’t just harm individual women and girls, it also ...

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and (631) _______ world.

(632) _______. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. This type of violence doesn’t just harm individual women and girls, it also (633) _______ their overall quality of life and hinders their active involvement in society. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), (634) _______, but there is still much work to be done to completely eliminate such practices.

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. Implementing new legal frameworks regarding female (635) _______ in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women is crucial to ending the gender-based discrimination prevalent in many countries around the world.