08 Mar Where there’s gender equality, people tend to live longer

By Rachel Treisman, NPR

Both women and men are likely to live longer when a country makes strides towards gender equality, according to a new global study that authors believe to be the first of its kind.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health this week, just ahead of International Women’s Day. It adds to a growing body of research showing that advances in women’s rights benefit everyone.

“This International Women’s Day, let’s not forget that the evidence demonstrates that enhancing women’s representation across multiple sectors contributes to wealthier and, hence, healthier societies for all,” lead author Cat Pinho-Gomes, a research fellow at The George Institute for Global Health and Imperial College London, said in a release.

Researchers estimated gender equality in 156 countries using a “modified global gender gap index,” which is based on an index developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) between 2010 and 2021. They believe this is the first study to examine the link between that index and the gender gap in life expectancy. Read more …