Global Community Urged to Tackle Barriers to Gender Equality – G20 South Africa

G20 Ministerial Meeting Advances Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality

High-Level Outcomes and Global Partnerships

A recent Group of 20 (G20) Ministerial Meeting has issued a call for renewed global action to overcome barriers to gender equality, directly addressing the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5). The meeting, hosted by South Africa, concluded with the adoption of the first G20 Ministerial Declaration on the empowerment of women. This declaration represents a significant step in multilateral efforts, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and is set to be presented to world leaders at the next G20 Summit for endorsement.

South Africa’s G20 Presidency: A Focus on SDG Alignment

As the first African nation to hold the G20 presidency, South Africa has prioritized solidarity, equality, and sustainability. The G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group, chaired by South Africa’s Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, has identified key areas of focus that are intrinsically linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• Addressing Paid and Unpaid Care Work: This priority directly targets SDG 5.4, which calls for the recognition and valuation of unpaid care and domestic work.
• Enhancing Financial Inclusion for Women: This initiative supports SDG 5.a, which aims to give women equal rights to economic resources, and contributes to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide: This focus is critical for achieving SDG 5.2, which seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, and supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Ministerial Perspectives on Gender Equality as a Driver for Sustainable Development

Minister Monica Mutsvangwa of Zimbabwe, attending as a guest, reinforced the principle that gender equality is not only a matter of social justice but a fundamental driver for achieving all Sustainable Development Goals. The ministerial session highlighted that women are key creators and drivers in addressing global challenges. Despite progress since the Beijing Declaration, significant structural barriers remain, impeding the achievement of SDG 5 and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

1. Structural Inequality: Persistent inequality undermines women’s full participation in society and the economy, hindering progress on SDG 10.
2. Economic Exclusion: The failure to address care work and ensure financial inclusion prevents women’s full economic empowerment, impacting SDG 8.
3. Gender-Based Violence: The continued prevalence of violence against women remains a profound barrier to achieving gender equality, as outlined in SDG 5.2.

Consolidated Recommendations and Call for Collective Action

The meeting, which included representatives from G20 member states, guest countries, and international organizations, served as a platform for policy development and research exchange. Participants unanimously called for collective action to accelerate progress on gender equality. The key recommendations focused on advancing:

• Women’s participation in economic spheres, in line with SDG 5.a and SDG 8.
• Women’s role in innovation, contributing to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).
• Women’s full participation in decision-making spheres, a core component of SDG 5.5.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the central theme of the article. The entire text focuses on the G20 meeting’s call to confront barriers to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Specific issues like gender-based violence, unpaid care work, financial inclusion, and women’s participation in decision-making are all core components of SDG 5.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article connects women’s empowerment to economic issues by highlighting focus areas such as “tackling paid and unpaid care work” and “boosting financial inclusion for women.” It also calls for advancing “women’s participation in economic… spheres,” which directly relates to achieving productive employment and economic growth.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article addresses the “structural inequality” that undermines women’s full participation in society and the economy. The call to promote gender equality is a direct effort to reduce inequalities between genders, which is a key aspect of SDG 10.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The specific mention of “fighting gender based violence and femicide” as a main area of focus directly aligns with SDG 16’s goal to reduce all forms of violence and build just societies where women are safe from harm.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article describes a high-level international meeting—the “G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group Ministerial Meeting”—which brought together “representatives from G20 member states, guest countries and international organisations.” This collaboration and call for “joint efforts” exemplifies the global partnership required to achieve sustainable development, as outlined in SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
  1. Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. The article’s overarching call to “confront the persistent and emerging barriers to gender equality” and address “structural inequality” directly supports this target.
  2. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. This is explicitly mentioned as a main area of focus: “fighting gender based violence and femicide.”
  3. Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work. This is another explicit focus area mentioned in the article: “tackling paid and unpaid care work.”
  4. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life. The article highlights the unanimous call for advancing “women’s participation in economic, innovation and decision-making spheres.”
  5. Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources. This is directly addressed by the focus on “boosting financial inclusion for women.”
• Under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
  1. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The emphasis on “boosting financial inclusion” and ensuring women’s “participation in economic… spheres” aims to achieve this target by removing barriers to women’s economic engagement.
• Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
  1. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of sex. The article’s entire premise, focusing on women’s empowerment and inclusion in “economic, innovation and decision-making spheres,” directly aligns with this target.
• Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
  1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The commitment to “fighting gender based violence and femicide” is a direct action towards achieving this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention specific quantitative indicators but implies areas where progress can be measured through policy implementation and outcome monitoring. These implied indicators include:

• Policies addressing unpaid care work: Progress towards Target 5.4 can be measured by the development and implementation of policies that recognize and support unpaid care work, as highlighted by the focus on “tackling paid and unpaid care work.”
• Rates of gender-based violence and femicide: The commitment to “fighting gender based violence and femicide” implies that a key indicator for Targets 5.2 and 16.1 would be a reduction in the prevalence and incidence of these forms of violence.
• Level of women’s financial inclusion: For Target 5.a, progress can be measured by tracking the increase in women’s access to and use of financial services, as implied by the goal of “boosting financial inclusion for women.”
• Proportion of women in leadership and decision-making roles: The call to advance “women’s participation in economic, innovation and decision-making spheres” implies that an indicator for Target 5.5 would be the percentage of women holding positions in these areas.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: g20.org