Ema Solberg
Gender equality is a question of human rights. It is also the sustainable way forward for humanity. As co-chair of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group, I am very pleased that 193 heads of state recognised this in New York last September when the 17 SDGs were adopted. The social, economic and environmental benefits that greater gender equality brings are blatantly obvious. Reports published by the World Bank, the IMF, UNDP and the International Finance Corporation document the economic gains made when gender equality and female participation in the labour market are increased. Research shows that greater gender equality has a positive impact on how households spend money on children’s nutrition, health, and education.
Investing in education is a way to enhance efforts to meet all the Sustainable Development Goals. It can be a real game changer in the fight against poverty. Providing quality education for girls is particularly important, as this affects not only their own health and economic opportunities, but also the situation of their families for generations to come.
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