Integrating a gender lens in voluntary sustainability standards: Lessons learned

Agenda 2030 envisages a key role for the private sector in achieving the SDGs. Over the past two decades, Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) have become a common instrument used by businesses, civil society organisations and, less often, governments to establish, incentivise and enforce private sector commitments to sustainable development. This chapter explores how gender has been integrated into VSS, and the extent to which VSS have contributed to gender equality and the empowerment of women (SDG 5), with the aim of capturing learning for standards systems more generally.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Gender Equality

Reduced Inequalities