A total of 93 United Nations (UN) member states have expressed their commitment to close the gender equality gap as of the last week of July 2016, this according to UN Women.

The UN member states that expressed their commitment towards gender equality include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria and Burundi.

In a statement delivered during the “Global Leader’s Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: A Commitment to Action” held on 27 September 2015, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, said that the government of Bangladesh plans to eliminate child marriage by 2041.

Prime Minister Hasina also pledged that her government will “create more opportunities and access for our women to participate in politics, business and government.”

Asking governments to make national commitments to close the gender equality gap is part of the “Planet 50-50 By 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” program by the UN Women. Specifically, the program asks governments to pass new laws and strengthen existing ones to address the challenges holding back women and girls.

In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Women, as an organization, sets its sights on 2030 as the expiration date for gender inequality.

In addition to the commitments of the UN member states, regional organizations, civil society and the private sector are also encouraged to commit to stepping up gender equality. The organizations that have expressed their commitment to gender equality and empowerment of women include the African Union, Council of Europe, European Union, League of Arab States, Organization of American States, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Cultures of Peru, Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Alibaba Group.