Nine years ago, the United Nations created the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs: a series of 17 interlinked objectives intended to improve the lives of people around the globe. The goals are to be reached by 2030. With little more than five years to go, progress on most of the goals is far behind schedule. Among them is SDG 5, which aims to achieve global gender equality.
The sad fact is that if governments around the world invested in equal rights for women and girls, the global economy would increase by around 10 trillion every year, according to the UN. That’s because gender inequality affects every aspect of development.
“Based on current economic trends, it will take a staggering 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty. By 2050, climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into extreme poverty,” said Lisa Carty, United States Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council.
“We know that women and girls make up the majority of the 362 million people requiring humanitarian assistance and are often among the most vulnerable. We’re currently on track to surpass that number in 2024.”
“We know education is key to closing the digital divide. Unfortunately, today, 119 million girls remain out of school, and women make up only 26 percent of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence,” said Ambassador Carty.
“We must take concrete actions to close these gaps. That is why the United States supports UN Women’s proposal … to focus our efforts on six priority areas that can drive progress – including efforts to accelerate gender parity in leadership positions, adopt national action plans to end gender-based violence, bridge the digital divide, and create greater economic opportunity.”
“2025 will offer a number of opportunities to advance this work,” said Ambassador Carty. “It’s regrettable that efforts to advance gender equality face fierce opposition from a small number of Member States,” she said.
“Those who stand in the way of the advancement of women and girls also reduce the prosperity and security of all persons. They erode the full potential of a democratic way of life. They undermine achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“In contrast,” said Ambassador Carty, “those who stand with women and girls create space for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons, regardless of gender.”
