Sustainable Development Goal 5 and the Reasons Behind It

By: Damilola Adeosun


The International Humanitarian Law is explicit when it says that every country’s responsibility is to ensure security and a good quality of life for all of its population. Each nation worldwide must guarantee a decent life to every citizen regardless of gender. Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) has nine targets and 14 indicators, which include: ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; ending the exploitation of women and girls; ending female genital mutilation, increasing the number of women in decision-making areas, and increasing access to reproductive and healthcare.

Among the many other issues we are fighting in today’s world, the one that is particularly urgent since it affects 51% of the world’s population is The Gender Issue. Women and Girls still face significant violence, lack of formal schooling education, job uncertainty, discrimination, and prejudice. Though many policies have been discussed and passed to address this problem, much of the issue has remained unresolved.

Far from being eradicated, the disparity between men and women is well-known worldwide as one of the main challenges of our times. It currently occupies the fifth position among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. ‘SDG 5 – Gender Equality has been implemented to carry out the mission of “achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.” The objective is focused on combating discrimination and violence, promoting empowerment, and increasing the participation of women in politics, leadership positions in jobs, and various other influential areas.

But many of these fundamental issues-as previously mentioned- have not been tackled adequately. The United Nations says that only half of women in developing regions receive recommended health care. These numbers are also alarming while addressing ​​education because women represent two-thirds of the world’s 796 million illiterate adults. According to global statistics, just 39 percent of rural girls attend secondary school. This is far fewer than rural boys, with about 45 percent of them attending school. Compare this with the amount of urban girls-59 percent- these numbers are shocking. According to UNESCO, around 16 million girls will spend their entire lives without stepping into a classroom.

Gender differences can be felt, especially in incomes. Female workers spend up to 90% of their income on their families, while men spend around 30 to 40%. They also devote, on average, about three times more hours a day to domestic work, limiting the time available for paid work, education, which is why most women don’t have high-paying jobs or degrees. The ILO- International Labour Organization estimated that women earn about 23% less than men. This is accompanied by the fact that women in regions like Africa and Asia work 12-14 hours more per week than their partners.  

According to the IFAD, violence against women is increasing. According to the data from the United Nations Statistical Commission, 35% of women have suffered, at some point in their lives, physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by an aggressor who was not their partner. One in 9 girls under the age of 18 experienced sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult compared to 1 in 53 boys, meaning 82% of all victims under 18 are female. Add this with the fact that laws and policies are against women speaking out against their abusers. Most victims live in a cruel form of pained silence.

Inadequate progress on structural issues is at the root of gender inequality. One of the biggest obstacles is the fact that policies and rules are not there to protect women. Legislations are so outdated that women are unaware of their constitutional rights. Lack of prioritiziation of issues such as sexual and reproductive matters and low numbers of women in political positions contribute to this fact. Based on data collected in 2018 from 69 countries, only 13 nations fully met the criteria for implementing a tracking system that allowed measuring and making available gender budget data. These numbers don’t meet the UN’s SDG 5 requirement.

Ensuring fundamental human rights implies breaking down any barriers regarding sex and gender. If the mission of the 17 SDG goals is to secure a more affluent, honest, and sustainable world, can’t this only be achieved if the various barriers that prevent the full rights of people are eliminated?

Sources:

https://blog.brightcities.city/sdg5/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goal_5

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/children-and-teens

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