The United Nations opens its campaign on gender equality issues starting Sunday with an International Women's Day (IWD) march from its headquarters to New York's Times Square.
Over the next week, UN will raise pitch for gender parity through major events to mark IWD (March 8).
Speaking ahead of IWD, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said there's much progress on gender equality over the last two decades, but women still lag behind men in many critical areas.
"Gains are too slow and uneven. We must do far more to speed up progress everywhere," Ban said. "We must accept the gaps and chart the way forward." According to UN Women, in fact, around 50 per cent of women worldwide are in paid employment - an increase from 40 per cent more than 20 years ago.
The data paints a startling picture. Only one in five parliamentarians is a woman today. At this rate, it will take an estimated 81 years for women to achieve parity in employment.
The pandemic of violence against women and girls affects one in three women worldwide, UN said.
"Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls are essential to our sustainable future," said Ban.
"This year we have an opportunity to end these wrongs and deliver on the promises of Beijing," he said, referring to the upcoming 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, the "international blueprint" for gender equality and women's empowerment.