Glossary
Discrimination (Workplace Bias)
Unfair treatment or bias against individuals in the workplace based on characteristics like gender, limiting their opportunities, pay, or advancement.
Example:
A highly qualified woman being consistently overlooked for promotions in favor of less experienced male colleagues is an example of discrimination or workplace bias.
Economic Independence (for women)
The ability of women to control their own financial resources and make independent economic decisions, reducing reliance on others.
Example:
When a woman starts her own successful business and manages her own finances, she achieves greater economic independence.
Gender Equality (MDG 3)
The state in which individuals of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, specifically targeted by one of the Millennium Development Goals.
Example:
Efforts to ensure that girls have the same access to primary education as boys directly align with the Gender Equality goal of the MDGs.
Gender Pay Gap
The average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are working, often for the same work or work of equal value.
Example:
Despite working the same hours and having similar qualifications, a female software engineer might earn 85 cents for every dollar a male colleague earns, illustrating the gender pay gap.
Global Partnership for Development (MDG 8)
The commitment by developed countries to support developing nations through aid, trade, and debt relief, forming the eighth Millennium Development Goal.
Example:
When wealthier nations provide financial assistance and technology transfer to less developed countries, they are contributing to the Global Partnership for Development.
Income Inequality
The unequal distribution of wealth and income within a society, often measured by comparing earnings across different population groups.
Example:
In a country where the top 1% of earners control more wealth than the bottom 50% combined, there is significant income inequality.
Maternal Health (MDG 5)
The health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, which was a key focus of one of the Millennium Development Goals.
Example:
Programs aimed at increasing access to skilled birth attendants and prenatal care contribute to improving maternal health, a critical MDG.
Microloans
Small loans given to individuals or small businesses, often in developing countries, to help them start or expand income-generating activities.
Example:
A seamstress in rural Bangladesh uses a microloan to buy a new sewing machine, allowing her to increase her production and income.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
A set of eight international development goals established by the United Nations in 2000, aimed at addressing global issues like poverty, hunger, disease, and gender inequality by 2015.
Example:
One of the Millennium Development Goals focused specifically on reducing child mortality worldwide.
Unpaid Care Work
Domestic and caregiving tasks, such as childcare, eldercare, and household chores, that are typically performed without monetary compensation.
Example:
A mother who spends her day caring for her children and elderly parents, preventing her from taking on paid employment, is performing unpaid care work.