UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- A UN report released on Wednesday said some 75 percent of all international migrants are located in 30 countries - including Kuwait, US, UK, Switzerland and Japan -, which they identify as the "preferred destinations".
The report also said that the share of women migrants in the Gulf States, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is less than one third of the total number of migrants, as the bulk of the foreign-born population are men of working age.
While the proportion of female and male migrants in the US is almost identical, the report noted, women's share in Japan, Canada and other European countries exceeds 50 percent.
The report, "The World's Women 2010 - Trends and Statistics," was issued by the Statistics Division of the UN Economic and Social Affairs and was released on the occasion of the first ever World Statistics Day, as it provides policy makers with a useful tool for development.
It is a comprehensive compilation of the latest data documenting progress for women worldwide in key issues, including population and families, health, education, work and decision making.
In the report's introduction, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the report shows that there has been progress in ensuring the equal status of women and men in many areas. However, it "makes clear that much more needs to be done, in particular to close the gender gap in public life".
On the issue of Population, the report said Kuwaiti population consisted of 62,000 women and 90,000 men in 1950, compared to 1.239 million women and 1.811 million men in 2010. Kuwait also has a ratio of 146 men per 100 women.
The report also said that between 2005 and 2010, Kuwaiti women have a life expectancy of 80 years, compared to 76 years for men.
It has also been reported that the Kuwaiti population is currently 3.1 million, that it is projected to reach 5.2 million in 2050, and that the average population growth rate is of 2.4 percent.
On the issue of education, the report stated that although the literacy rate among Kuwaiti adults between 2005 and 20008 was 93,000 for women and 95, 000 for men, it is 99,000 for young women and 98,000 young men among youths.
It also noted that the women's share among adult illiterate population was 46 percent, and the girls' share among out-of-primary-school children was 58 percent during the same period.
However, it added, that in tertiary education, Kuwaiti women outnumbered men - 26 percent to 11 percent - between 2000 and 2007.
On the issue of employment, the report said although Kuwaiti women constituted 34 percent of the work force, compared to 81 percent for men in 1990, it now constitutes 43 percent, compared to 80 percent for men.
The report also stated that among the 17 countries where the prevalence of obesity exceeded 20 percent among women aged 25-64 years old, Qatar and the Emirates were among the countries with the highest levels of adult obesity, with 45 percent and 31 percent respectively.
On the global number of children of primary school age out of school, the report indicated that girls comprised 54 percent, down from 58 percent in 1999, but also noted that the percentage of out-of-school girls was the highest in the Arab States, reaching 61 percent.
On women's participation in parliaments globally, the report said it slowly and steadily increased, going from ten percent in 1995 to 17 percent in 2009.
In a related matter, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) also issued a report today linking peace, security and development to women's rights and empowerment.
"When women have access to the same rights and opportunities as men, they are more resilient to conflict and disaster and can lead reconstruction and renewal efforts in their societies," the report entitled 'The State of World Population 2010' said.
The reports' release coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Security Council resolution 1325 which aimed to put an end to sexual violence against women and girls in armed conflict and to encourage their greater participation in peace-building initiatives.
"If we're serious about preventing conflicts, recovering from war and natural disaster and building lasting peace, we need to empower women, as well as the young and the elderly, to become agents of positive change," UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid said at the launch of the report. - Kuna