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Facts & Figures
Political Participation
- Out of over 180 countries, only 13 have elected women heads of state or government:
- Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile (2006-)
- Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of Switzerland (2007-)
- Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2002, 2002-2005, 2005-)
- Luísa Días Diogo, Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004-)
- Tarja Halonen, President of Finland (2000-2006, 2006-)
- Dalia Itzik, Acting President of Israel (2007-)
- Borjana Krišto, President of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2007-)
- Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia (2006-)
- Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (1997-2004, 2004-)
- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines (2004-)
- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany (2005-)
- Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica (2006-)
- Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999-)
The Internet
- The Internet is the fastest-growing tool of communication ever. It took radio broadcasters 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million, television 13 years, and the Internet just 4 years.
- The Worldwide Internet Population is estimated at 1.08 billion. In 2000 there were 400 million users, and in 1995 20 million users.
- In 2001 more information could be sent over a single cable in a second than in 1997 was sent over the entire Internet in a month.
- The cost of transmitting information has fallen dramatically. A trillion bits of information from Boston to Los Angeles from $150,000 in 1970 to 12 cents today. E-mailing a 40-page document from Chile to Kenya costs less than 10 cents, faxing it about $10, sending it by courier $50.
- The average total cost of using a local dialup Internet account for 20 hours a month in Africa is about USD 60 a month and USD 22 a month in the US. The average African monthly salary is less than USD 60.
- Native English speakers represent 35% of the online population, although they are less than 10% of the world population. Native Chinese speakers represent the second largest group: 16% of the online population.
- In Chile 89% of internet users have had tertiary education, in Sri Lanka 65%, and in China 70%.
- Iceland has the highest percentage of internet users (68%); the United States stands at 56%; Malaysia 34%; Jordan 8%; Palestine 4%; Nigeria 0.6%; Tajikistan 0.1%
Inequitable Distribution
- Among the 4.4 billion people who live in developing countries
- THREE-FIFTHS have no access to basic sanitation
- Almost ONE-THIRD are without safe drinking water
- ONE-QUARTER lack adequate housing
- ONE-FIFTH live beyond reach of modern health services
- ONE-FIFTH of the children do not get as far as grade five in school
- ONE-FIFTH are undernourished
- The 3 RICHEST PEOPLE in the world own assets that exceed the combined gross national product of ALL LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES and their 600 million people.
- The richest 20% of the world’s population enjoys a share in global income that is 86 times that of the poorest 20%.
- More than 1.2 billion people in the world live on less that $1 a day. More than 50% of them are children. Nearly 1 billion cannot meet their basic consumption requirements.
- The assets of the 200 richest people are more than the combined income of 41% of the world's people.
- A yearly contribution of 1% of their wealth or $8 billion could provide universal access to primary education for all.
- Industrialized countries hold 97% of all patents, and global corporations hold 90% of all technology and product patents.
- Over 80% of foreign direct investment in developing and transtition economies goes to just 20 countries, with China receiving the maximum share.
- Debt relief for the 20 worst affected countries would cost between US $5.5 billion to $7.7 billion, LESS than the cost of ONE stealth bomber.
Education
- 855,000,000 people in the world are illiterate. 70% of them are female.
- Two-thirds of the world's children who receive less than four years of education are girls.
- For every year beyond fourth grade that girls go to school, family size drops 20%, child deaths drop 10%, and wages rise 20%; yet, international aid dedicated to education is declining.
- Worldwide, more than half the population of women over age 15 cannot read or write.
- Girls represent nearly 60% of the children not in school.
- Even when women have equal years of education, it does not translate into economic opportunities or political power.
- While women in Nigeria enjoy 53% literacy, in Morocco 34%, and in Palestine 77%, their participation in politics and the economy lag far behind.
- Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury and death for women worldwide.
- Only 1 in 100 battered women in the U.S. reports the abuse she suffers. Every nine seconds, a woman is battered by her domestic partner.
- 59% of Japanese women are victims of domestic violence. In Kenya, 42% of women and in Pakistan, 80% of women experience violence within the home.
- Everyday, 6000 girls are genitally mutilated.
- Every year in India, 5000 brides are murdered or commit suicide because their marriage dowries are considered inadequate.
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