Education

Education holds a paramount relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as delineated by the United Nations in 2015. It is not only recognized in its standalone form in SDG 4, which strives to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, but also serves as an enabler of other SDGs, highlighting its cross-cutting impact across multiple facets of development. It acts as the foundation stone of knowledge, fostering an understanding of complex socio-economic dynamics that are critical for the attainment of other goals.

Consider, for instance, how education impacts SDG 1 - No Poverty. The increased earning potential offered by quality education is a powerful tool in breaking the poverty cycle. Similarly, in relation to SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being, education is instrumental in driving better health outcomes by fostering understanding of healthy lifestyles, disease prevention, and the benefits of timely medical intervention.

Addressing the climate crisis (SDG 13) also necessitates education, as it prepares individuals to understand the intricate relationships between human activities and their environmental impact, and to seek sustainable solutions. Moreover, achieving gender equality (SDG 5) is intrinsically tied to education, as access to quality learning opportunities for girls and women empowers them, promotes their participation in decision-making processes, and helps in overturning deeply entrenched societal biases.

Quality education also fosters innovation and infrastructure development (SDG 9), as it equips individuals with the technical and creative skills necessary to devise advanced technologies and infrastructures. Moreover, education fosters peace and justice (SDG 16) by promoting a culture of peace, non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity.

In this multifaceted role, education serves as a catalyst in the process of sustainable development. However, these interconnections necessitate that education systems themselves are made more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. The challenges of the 21st century, such as the digital divide and the increasing need for lifelong learning, require urgent attention to ensure education continues to play its role effectively. Education is the key that unlocks the potential of all other SDGs, making its universal attainment not just a goal, but a pre-requisite for a sustainable future.

Under the theme "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality", the United Nations Observance of International Women's Day 2023 will highlight the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education. Photo: UN Trust Fund/Phil

Celebrated annually on 8 March, International Women's Day is a global day to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The theme for this International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD 2023) is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." Elsevier is proud to support IWD 2023 through this thoughtfully curated, freely accessible collection of journal articles and book chapters highlighting the strides being made towards embracing equity and the barriers that stand in the way of achieving gender equality.  

 

This Article supports SDGs 3 and 10 by evaluating whether provision of a cash transfer to children and adolescents would improve their access to health and education resources, by removing financial barriers to these resources. The programme was successful in this regard; eg, beneficiaries were twice as likely as non-beneficiaries to use rehabilitation services and attend school.
Elsevier, part of RELX, supports researchers in the developing world with free and low-cost access to knowledge through Research4Life. This is the story behind the successful programme, relating to SDG 4, Quality Education, and SDG 17, Partnership for the Goals.
This article ties to SDG 3 & 4. This study evaluates the effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) in a group format delivered by lay counselors to children with trauma-related symptoms in China.
Elsevier,

Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, Volume 15, February 2023

This article looks at changes in stress levels and study habits during the COVID-19 pandemic across students at HBCUs.
This review article advances goals 3, 5, and 10 by addressing inequity in care among pregnant women with asthma in underserved communities and examining potential interventions that may help improve health outcomes and standard of care.
Millions of children globally cannot attend school because they live on less than $1.90 a day. The article explores the relationship between SDGs 1 and 4.
In this episode of the “World We Want” podcast series and in support of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2022, Joslyn Chaiprasert-Paguio, Senior Acquisitions Editor at Elsevier, talks to Alan Berkowitz and Lindsay Orchowski about the causes for violence against women and the potential solutions for society.
Elsevier,

The Journal of Climate Change and Health, available online 21 November 2022, 100188

Guide Development Timeline
Climate justice and health education can address the disproportionate health impacts of climate change on minoritized communities by providing frameworks to build awareness and instigate action on climate-related health inequities.
This paper focuses on raising awareness of disability among Saudi university graduates.

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