Why gender equality deserves to be known as a Sustainable Development Goal?

"Sustainability is the need of the hour", "reduce, reuse,recycle", "Go Green","Save our Planet" are some phrases which dominate my social feed as I write this article. It is both surprising and encouraging to see the conversation of such magnitude taking over our minds, thoughts, spirits and policies.

Surprising because we still have a lot to learn and probably sharpen our awareness. This is because a lot of us still feel that a sustainable future can be achieved only by focusing our efforts on afforestation and reducing our carbon footprint.While this holds true, it is encouraging to know that there is a reason why the UN has defined the 5th goal as GENDER EQUALITY.

UNDERSTANDING GENDER EQUALITY

Gender equality has been comprehensively defined as Gender equality, also known as "sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations and needs equally, regardless of gender"

The three key things to focus are access to rights and opportunities, economic participation and decision-making and most importantly valuing different behaviors,aspirations and needs equally. Straightforward as they may sound, the on-ground reality is far from it. To begin with, the strides of gender equality are lopsided, with the results skewed towards the urban areas. In the rural areas women are not only working more but as per the International Labor Organization are paid 25% less than their male counterparts. One major rootcause lies in the traditions, customs and age-old beliefs that disempower one sex above the other.

For example, girls and women in the rural areas are discouraged to get basic education as it defies imposed rules of staying at home and being the primary caregiver. This can effect their awareness too and as a result prove detrimental in their life. Later this could also become an excuse for their exclusion from the decision making processes. The fact that pinches the soul is that around 70% of the world population are rural dwellers, which also means that 70% of our society is on the back foot.

While the urban areas are better-off , they have their own set of stumbling blocks. Women in the urban workforce have to rise above the set norms and fight for an equal pay, demand equal rights for making decisions and battle to be considered equal in their professions. So, we are not talking about physical problems, we are talking about rigid mindsets and their repercussions.

The UN has highlighted some facts which can rip the rug out of us as we read:

Worldwide, nearly half of married women lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights. 35 per cent of women between 15-49 years of age have experienced physical and/ or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.1 in 3 girls aged 15-19 have experienced some form of female genital mutilation/cutting in the 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where the harmful practice is most common with a high risk of prolonged bleeding, infection (including HIV), childbirth complications, infertility and death.

This type of violence doesn’t just harm individual women and girls; it also undermines their overall quality of life and hinders their active involvement in society.

Gender inequality doesn't not span just two genders, it also paints a dreary picture for the other genders who fight an everyday battle to confirm their existence and rights in the society. From fundamental rights to living life in their own way, the battles are well known yet easily dispersed by the stereotypical norms of the people.

Hence it is no wonder, that the UN decided to include this a crucial goal.

CORRELATING GENDER EQUALITY AND OTHER SDGs

All the other 16 sustainable development goals are for the people, of the people and by the people. Therefore, to accomplish these goals the first step has to make this world an equal place for all. Women and girls make half of the world population, as result hold the key to half of our world's potential. When women have equal access to growth, opportunity and education and income, they help in improving the lives of their families, and surroundings thus directly assisting in poverty reduction, well-being , innovation and knowledge creation.

In the UN report of 2018 by UN WOMEN, they have listed some pertinent points as follows:Access to decent work and regular income for women contributes to poverty reduction (SDG 1) and improves education, health, and nutrition outcomes for women, girls, and their dependents (SDGs 2, 3, and 4).

• Eliminating violence against women and girls is crucial for SDG 5 and essential for ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all ages (SDG 3). Women facing violence are more susceptible to HIV infection and are at higher risk of depression and alcohol use disorders . Children exposed to violence suffer long-term trauma affecting their physical, emotional, and social development.
• Progress on gender equality is uneven across different dimensions of the 2030 Agenda:Global improvement in girls' education access is notable but insufficient, leaving women and girls in the poorest households behind (SDG 4).Gender gaps persist in labor force participation (SDG 8) and innovation and knowledge creation (SDG 9).Progress on maternal mortality (SDG 3) is slow and uneven, hindering the achievement of SDG Target 3 by 2030.Efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) (SDG 5) have been made, but population growth may result in an increase in the number of women and girls undergoing FGM over the next 15 years.

RELATING OUR SDGs TO GENDER EQUALITY

SDG 1 NO POVERTY:Research shows that more cash in the hands of women contributes not only to eliminating poverty but also to better education, nutrition and health outcomes for children and other members of the household.

SDG 2 Zero Hunger Women play a critical role in food production,processing and distribution and are therefore essential to meeting the agricultural productivity and nutrition targets of Goal 2.

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being: Gender equality in health is one of the most direct and potent ways to reduce health inequities overall and to achieve Goal 3.

SDG 4 Quality Education:Achieving equality in education will boost women’s employment and empowerment, add to economic growth and contribute positively to child well-being and development.

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation: Women and girls play a central role in the provision, management and safeguarding of household water and sanitation. Addressing the water and sanitation needs of women benefits the health and well-being of entire communities.

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy: primary energy managers in households, women can play a powerful role in the successful transition to sustainable energy for all.

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth: Women’s access to decent work is an essential measure of inclusive and sustainable growth.

SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Increasing women's participation in technology, science and innovation is critical for meeting the global challenges ahead

SDG 10 Reduced Inequality: Gender equality is crucially linked with overall equality in society

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities:Women have equal rights to the city, and their safety in public spaces is crucial for sustainable urbanization

SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production: Unsustainable production and consumption patterns are gendered, with women suffering disproportionately from resource scarcity and natural disasters resulting from climate change.

SDG 13 Climate Action: Gender equality is critical to mitigate climate impacts: Women’s inclusion in climate discussions leads to improved outcomes of climate-related projects and policies

SDG 14 Life Below Water:Empowering women in local fisheries decision-making leads to better resource governance and conservation.

SDG 15 Life on Land: Women’s specific knowledge of and dependence on forests makes them key contributors to forest conservation and regeneration.

SDG 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Women play a vital role in preventing conflict and forging and maintaining peace.By fully protecting women’s rights, peaceful and inclusive societies will be within reach.

SDG 17 Mobilizing sufficient resources will be critical for meeting the gender equality commitments of the 2030 Agenda

It is clear that other goals are tied to the 5th goal of Gender Equality for their success and accomplishment.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

The 17 UN SDGs are all interlinked like a bridge to a sustainable society. Missing even one key link can break the bridge and the indispensable link here is "gender equality". As we progress and evolve so is the definition of "gender". It is important that we define new ways and methods to include these new identities and provide them an equal stage to voice their opinions, live their lives and contribute to their communities.

We also have to keep in mind that we have to leverage social media in this aspect as it becomes the new-age tool for awareness and knowledge. As more and more people adopt technology in their lives, we should try to break the stigma, and help them absorb the right attitude towards equality.

For the countless bridges we build for development, gender equality is the one stanchion that holds it steadily, supports and bears the weight of its growth.