I believe that if we made a short list of major phenomena hampering progress on our planet that our treatment of women would be on the list (along with our propensity to go to war). I presently see these phenomena that illustrate this:

1. physical & emotional abuse of women.
2. ritual murder as in India.
3. "honor" killing
4. denial of opportunity for participating in the labor force (some backward countries lose substantial (half?) of their productive potential by not allowing women to work).
5. insufficient voice in the clergy (why do some denominations prohibit female clergy; what was Simon Peter (the first pope) up to when he set in motion a lesser role for women in the church -- most of my spiritual teachers have been women.
6. insufficient voice in politics -- we'd have less war if women had a greater role in politics.
7. female circumcision (or genital mutilation).
8. sex trafficking.
9. women and children are property of the husband or father in some societies (prevents legal process to end abuse).

Then maybe we articulate an outreach mission devoted to "status of women". What can we do ? At a minimum, we can identify the foundations and aid organizations that are helping and support them.