On its 60th anniversary, UNICEF has launched a report asserting that gender equality is critical to child survival and development. "The State of the World's Children 2007" investigates the status of children all around the world. The report found that by bringing an end to gender discrimination we would create the "double dividend" of benefiting both women and children. "The lives of women are inextricably linked to the well-being of children," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "If they are not educated, if they are not healthy, if they are not empowered, the children are the ones who suffer."

The report suggests seven key interventions for gender equality (which is UN Millennium Development Goal #3):

• Abolish school fees and invest in girls' education
• Invest government funding in gender equality
• Enact legislation to create a level playing field for women, and to prevent and respond to domestic violence as well as gender-based violence in conflict
• Ensure women's participation in politics
• Involve women's grassroots organizations early on in policy development
• Engage men and boys so the importance of gender equality can be understood by all
• Improve research and data on gender issues, which are critical if progress is to be made

For example, by surveying decision making practices in 30 countries, UNICEF found that in households where women are excluded from family decisions, children are more likely to be under-nourished. In South Asia, gender equality in family decision-making would lead to 13.4 million fewer malnourished children, a 13% reduction. According to the findings, in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, when women's income increased for whatever reason, they spent the extra on more food for the family, creating a direct impact on the lives of the children.

The report tackles the increasing difficulties that women in industrialized countries are facing. "We can't escape the fact that maternity leave in the U.S. and other countries is shrinking, both in its length and in its quality," says Marisa, who lives and works in New York. "When you add to that the fact that paternity leave in this country is not well established and it is very hard to find affordable, quality childcare, you end up with a very challenging scenario."

The New Year is a time for looking ahead and wishing big, so it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of the fact that sometimes a little policy can go a long way. Meeting Millennium Goal #3 will also contribute to achieving all the other goals, from improving maternal health to combating HIV/AIDS. It will have effects that will impact societies all over the world, from reducing poverty and hunger to saving children's lives and ensuring universal education. All of these results will pave the way for sustainable development that impacts each and every one of us.

A report like this is a testament to the value of seeing the interrelationships between all social justice issues. In this case, the common denominator in the lives of women, children and their families is gender empowerment. It is a simple but extraordinarily powerful formula – let's hope that countries around the world are able to adopt these recommendations.

For the full PDF of the report, see here.