Supporting women’s well-being, education and civic engagement improves societies

I’ve been working on a post encouraging the growth of visual sociology. I will share that with you soon. Visual sociology refers to representing sociological knowledge through photographs, charts, videos and other visual media. In that spirit, I thought I would reblog this US AID infographic. It demonstrates the importance of improving women’s education, economic contribution, political power and health in developing countries through international assistance programs. [Text below for our vision impaired members.]

The infographic reads: “A woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in her future by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family and building a strong community. Some sobering statistics:

• 99% of maternal deaths each year occur in the developing world.
  • Adequate health care, a skilled birth attendant and emergency care help prevent maternal deaths.
• 1 in 5 girls in developing countries who enrol in primary school never finish.
  • Girls who stay in school for seven or more years, marry four years later and have two fewer children.
• Women make up nearly % 52% of the global total of people living with HIV…
  • Current approaches to preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission are 98% effective.
• 43% of the agriculture labour force. However, women are less likely to own land, and own fewer amounts of land when they do.
  • When women have the same amount of land as men, there is over a 10% increase in crop yields.
• Women comprise only 18.9% of the world’s legislators.
  • Countries where women’s share of seats in political bodies is greater than 30% are more inclusive, egalitarian, and democratic.”

Via: US Aid.