Inequality between Men and Women Persists.

• Position: Brief Article

Despite the tremendous changes of the twentieth century, discrimination and violence against women and girls remain firmly rooted in cultures around the world, according to a new report, "Lives Together, Worlds Apart--State of World Population 2000", released on 20 September by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The report demonstrates that while many countries have started taking steps to protect women's rights and promote equality, actual progress has been slow. According to its findings, one woman in three will experience violence during her lifetime, most often at the hands of someone she knows. Women comprise two thirds of the world's illiterate people, while about a third of all pregnancies--some 80 million...