A new report published by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, warns that persistent inequalities in society hold back development – and, as UNFPA Regional Director Florence Bauer argues, make it harder for countries in Eastern Europe to manage demographic change.

Gender equality means equal opportunities for all genders. Gender equality is not only a basic human right, but it is the foundation of a peaceful and stable society. Women and girls represent half of the world's population and, therefore, half of its potential. But gender inequality persists everywhere and stalls social progress.

Child and adolescent maltreatment is a global problem with serious life-long consequences. The elimination of violence against children is called for in several targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development but most explicitly in Target 16.2: “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. In addition, the WHO Global Plan of Action published in 2016 aims to s...