Despite great strides in the advancement of gender parity, women still lag behind men across an array of critical areas, from political representation and wage inequality to education - a gender gap that the United Nations is once again tackling head-on as it kicks off its annual observance of International Women's Day.
According to UN Women, in fact, approximately 50 per cent of women worldwide are in paid employment - an increase from 40 per cent more than 20 years ago. In the international sphere, meanwhile, the global community has widely acknowledged the need to increase women's role in peacebuilding in post-conflict countries.
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