Gender equality and women's empowerment

Gender equality and women's empowerment play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations. Acknowledging the significance of SDG 5, which explicitly targets gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, it's worth noting that these elements are fundamentally tied to all 17 goals. Each goal, whether it pertains to poverty eradication, quality education, or climate action, is directly or indirectly affected by gender dynamics. Gender inequality inhibits economic growth (SDG 8) by depriving economies of the full potential of half its population, thereby exacerbating poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2). Additionally, gender-based discrimination can limit access to quality education (SDG 4) and decent work (SDG 8) for women and girls, further perpetuating inequality. In health matters, gender roles and stereotypes often result in disparities in healthcare access and outcomes (SDG 3). With respect to environmental sustainability (SDGs 13, 14, and 15), women, particularly those in rural areas, bear the brunt of climate change impacts, but they also hold unique knowledge and skills crucial for mitigation and adaptation strategies. Likewise, women's underrepresentation in decision-making roles limits their influence on peace and justice (SDG 16) and partnerships for goals (SDG 17). Thus, achieving gender equality isn't only about justice for women and girls, but also about progress on every SDG. Women's empowerment creates a multiplier effect that boosts economic growth and promotes sustainable development, thereby setting a direct path towards achieving the SDGs. Encouragingly, concerted efforts worldwide are recognizing and amplifying women's roles in society, placing gender equality and women's empowerment at the heart of the SDGs. Such advancements signify a positive stride towards a balanced and equitable world.

Background: In Niger the prevalence of girl child marriage and low female control over family planning (FP) has resulted in the world's highest adolescent fertility. Male control of FP is associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) and reproductive coercion (RC). We assessed associations of IPV and RC with FP use among married adolescent girls (ages 13–19 years) in Dosso, Niger (N = 1072).
Background: There is a general lack of recommendations for and basic information tailored at sexologists and other health-care professionals for when they encounter trans people in their practice. Aim: We present to clinicians an up-to-date overview of clinical consensus statements on trans health care with attention for sexual function and satisfaction. Methods: The task force consisted of 7 clinicians experienced in trans health care, selected among European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) scientific committee.
Elsevier, Tourism Management Perspectives, Volume 34, April 2020
Women represent a majority of the tourism workforce globally, yet they remain under-represented in management roles and over-represented in part-time/casual work and low paid jobs. Prior research suggests women in employment, generally, and in tourism employment, specifically, experience gender discrimination, labour market and workplace segregation, work/family conflict, and other barriers to their employment and career progression.
With female names, voices and characters, artificially intelligent Virtual Personal Assistants such as Alexa, Cortana, and Siri appear to be decisively gendered female. Through an exploration of the various facets of gendering at play in the design of Siri, Alexa and Cortana, we argue that this gendering of VPAs as female may pose a societal harm, insofar as they reproduce normative assumptions about the role of women as submissive and secondary to men. In response, this article turns to examine the potential role and scope of data protection law as one possible solution to this problem.
"Before the lockdown, the lessons were the only time of day many of the women left the house." Advancing SDGs 1, 3 and 5, this article looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the women in Iraq supported by NGO Women for Women International.
The SDG Impact of COVID-19 podcast series gathers expert opinion exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals. In this segment, we get the view of Amanda Ellis, Executive Director of Global Partnerships for the ASU Global Futures Laboratory.
Introduction: Clitoral reconstruction (CR) is a controversial surgical procedure performed for women who have undergone medically unnecessary, often ritualistic genital cutting involving the clitoris. Such cutting is known by several terms; we will use female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Treatments offered to women affected by complications of FGM/C include defibulation (releasing the scar of infibulation to allow penetrative intercourse, urinary flow, physiological delivery, and menstruation) and CR to decrease pain, improve sexual response, and create a pre-FGM/C genital appearance.
Elsevier,

Preventing Domestic Homicides: Lessons Learned from Tragedies, 2020, Pages 15-37

Linked to SDGs 3 and 5, this chapter examines domestic homicides of older women through the lens of ageism.
Elsevier,

Preventing Domestic Homicides, Lessons Learned from Tragedies, 2020, Pages 39-61

This chapter supports SDGs 3, 5 and 16 by examining domestic homicides in rural communities, providing insights into their prevalence, risk factors, case studies, and prevention.
Elsevier,

Preventing Domestic Homicides, Lessons Learned from Tragedies, 2020, Pages 209-231

This chapter supports SDGs 3, 5 and 16 by analyzing violence and homicide in a workplace setting, reviewing impact and case studies, and offering recommendations and potential approaches to prevention.

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