Introduction

Women’s rights and gender equality are at the heart of sustainable development yet the world is currently off-track in achieving the gender equality commitments of the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the current rate of progress, it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove prevailing discriminatory laws, up to 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. In other critical areas, including poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2), the current trajectory points to a worrisome reversal of decades of progress. By the end of 2022, around 383 million women and girls will live in extreme poverty (on less than $1.90 a day) compared to 368 million men and boys. If current trends continue, by 2030, more women and girls will live in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa than do today. Women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings are especially disadvantaged. More than half of all girls not enrolled in formal education worldwide are found there.

Sustainable Development Goals:

No Poverty

Zero Hunger

Gender Equality