UN Sustainable Development Goal #5: Gender equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
"A society in which girls and young women can realize their full intellectual, social and political potential is also a safe, healthy and prosperous society."
Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia
Gender equality is progressing around the world. Women in particular are gaining more and more rights and are living more and more self-determined lives. Nevertheless, violence against women is still a major problem. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of acts of violence against women has risen worldwide.
Almost one in three women has been the victim of physical and/or sexual violence at least once. The perpetrator is often the woman's intimate partner. Around one in four women have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner in a relationship. Almost half of women who are married or living in a partnership state that they are not free to make decisions about their sex life and the use of contraceptives and health services. They are dependent on their partner and are not allowed to make free decisions.
Female circumcision is also still a problem worldwide. Although this practice is mainly limited to around 30 countries, female genital mutilation is so widespread in seven of these countries that 90% of women are affected.
https://news.pro.earth/2023/01/19/der-weltzukunftsvertrag-der-uno-besagt-in-erster-linie-eines-es-ist-deine-entscheidung/
In some countries, women also have no legal protection as there are no laws against discrimination or violence against women. They have no chance of escaping discrimination, violence and exploitation.
Furthermore, women also spend 2.5 times as much time as men looking after children or the elderly and doing housework. This unpaid work leaves less time for paid work and education. As a result, women often lose their independence and are financially dependent on other people.
At the same time, there are more and more women in leadership positions and parliaments around the world. One in four members of national parliaments worldwide is a woman, and around 28% of leadership positions worldwide are held by women.
The goals of SDG 5 by 2030 at a glance:
- End all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere in the world
- Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including human trafficking and sexual and other forms of exploitation
- Eliminate all harmful practices such as child marriage, genital mutilation etc. among women and girls
- Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work in line with national circumstances
- Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities in leadership roles at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
- Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights
- Implement reforms to provide women with equal rights to economic resources and access to land ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national legislation
- Improve the use of enabling technologies to promote women's empowerment
- Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation to promote gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
What to do?
The 17Goals initiative has compiled TU DU's that show us how we can drive forward the fulfillment of this goal in our lives. We have taken inspiration from them and listed a few more possibilities:
- Get actively involved in the rights of girls and women
- Question role models and encourage discussions about them in your environment
- Support projects that campaign against genital mutilation
- Find out about your rights and the rights
- Go vote
The climate crisis can only be overcome through interlinked social, economic and ecological measures, a "transformation of the world".
