The centrality of gender equality, women’s empowerment and the realization of women’s rights in achieving sustainable development has been increasingly recognized in recent decades. This is evident in a number of international norms and agreements, including: Principle 20 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992); The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995); Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995; The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012), etc

1. GENDER EQUALITY AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
By
EYO, ENOBONG FRANK
AKWA IBOM POLYTECHNIC, IKOT OSURUA, IKOT EKPENE
AKWA IBOM STATE
BEING
A PAPER DELIVERED AT THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (ICESD)
@ THE FACULTY OF LAW AUDITORIUM, EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY,
ABAKILIKI, NIGERIA
BETWEEN 10TH – 12TH APRIL, 2017

2. Introduction
• The centrality of gender equality, women’s empowerment and the
realization of women’s rights in achieving sustainable development
has been increasingly recognized in recent decades.
• This is evident in a number of international norms and agreements,
including:
– Principle 20 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
(1992);
– The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995);
– Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995;
– The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (2012),
etc.
• However, progress in achieving sustainable development goals has
been abysmally slow
• In the 21st century, we are confronted with economic, environmental
and social crises on a global scale.
• Also, advances in attaining gender equality have been equally
sluggish.
• The question then is: is there a link between these two trends?
• It should however be noted that the three pillars of sustainable
development: economic, environment and social are relevant for this
discussion on gender equality

3. Sustainable Development
• Brundtland Report of 1987, the most accepted definition of the
term, defines sustainable development as both an objective and
a method:
– That is, development that meets the needs of the present without
jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
• The above definition has both:
– a ‘horizontal’ dimension – which addresses solidarity and poverty
reduction today throughout the world, and
– a ‘vertical’ dimension in the form of solidarity with future generations.
• The above definition also integrates the three pillars of
sustainability: economic, social and environmental.
• On the other hand:
• The World Survey defines sustainable development as
economic, social and environmental development that ensures
human well-being and dignity, ecological integrity, gender equality
and social justice, now and in the future.

4. Gender Equality
• Gender equality in the present context refers to a state of
affairs in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities
in all walks of life
• It also means the presence of a gender perspective in
decision-making of all kinds and that women’s interests are
given the same consideration as men’s in terms of rights and
the allocation of resources.
• The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) states that:
– A purely formal legal or programmatic approach is not sufficient
to achieve de facto gender equality; and
– Women ought to be given an equal start and that they be
empowered by an enabling environment to achieve equality of
results
• Substantive or de facto gender equality according to CEDAW
therefore entails women’s equal enjoyment of their rights,
especially in regard to results and outcomes.

5. LinkingGenderEqualityandSustainableDevelopment
• With respect to social pillar of sustainable
development:
– there is a greater likelihood for allocation of more resources to
human development priorities, including child health, nutrition and
access to employment when women have greater voice and
participation in public administration (Chattopadhyay and Duflo,
2004)
– Agenda 21 urged governments to implement measures to review
policies and establish plans to increase the proportion of women
involved as decision makers, planners, managers, scientists and
technical advisers in the design, development and
implementation of policies and programmes for sustainable
development.
– The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(2011) found that:
• an important way to ensure food security and sustainable livelihoods
is to ensure that women have access to and control over agricultural
assets and productive resources; and
• women’s knowledge, agency and collective action are vital to finding,
demonstrating and building more economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable pathways to manage local landscapes;
adapt to climate change; produce and access food; and secure
sustainable water, sanitation and energy services.

6. LinkingGenderEqualityandSustainableDevelopment
• With respect to economic pillar of sustainable development:
– Certain aspects of gender equality, such as female education and women’s share of
employment, can have a positive impact on economic growth (Kabeer and Natali,
2013).
– In many economies, participation of women in remunerated work both in the formal
and informal labour market has improved considerably
– Women are now seriously involved in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
and, in some cases, have become more dominant in the expanding non-formal
sector.
– Unfortunately, economic policies of many States geared towards commercialisation
of agriculture and increment in exportation are shackled by gender-based
inequalities which limit the participation of women.
– This impedes the ability of women to access funds for these ventures and this in
turn greatly hurts the economic pillar of sustainable development.
– UNCTAD (1998) finds that the level of participation of women entrepreneurs in the
economies of developing countries are the smallest among SMEs and they are
concentrated in a limited number of sectors producing similar goods and suffering
the defect of limited access to production technology and market access
– Despite the increased presence of women in the workplace, they are yet to attain
equality in the economic and political leadership.
– Focusing on women in development assistance and poverty reduction strategies
brings about faster economic growth than “gender neutral” approaches (The World
Bank, 2009)
– women play enormous role in the welfare of households, they ensure social
development and sustainability by making sure that whatever is available is properly
disbursed

7. LinkingGenderEqualityandSustainableDevelopment
• With respect to the environmental pillar of sustainable
development:
– it is far from proven that women are more environmentally
conscientious than men as a rule
– But women are more likely than men to be affected by
environmental problems because of their social roles and more
impoverished status in all countries.
– Coping with the effects of climate change and damage from
extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and cyclones
tends to fall on women who hold together families and
households.
– According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), about 18
percent of legislative seats worldwide are held by women and in
many countries there are no female representatives at all.
– IPU studies also show that women in government give greater
emphasis than men to social welfare and ecological issues
(Candice Stevens, 2010).

8. LinkingGenderEqualityandSustainableDevelopment
• Summary:
– The social pillar of sustainable development emphasises equity
and equality.
– According to Sustain Labour (2009), it involves:
• confronting negative social trends such as growing income
disparities;
• exclusion of women from the green economy owing to gender
segregated employment patterns and discrimination;
• rising unemployment; and
• a persistent gender gap
– In response to the economic crisis, many countries are
implementing strategies for green growth, green economies and
green jobs to put them on a lower-carbon trajectory
– However, if they ignore gender equality, these initiatives will fail
to be fully sustainable
– Unless they are addressed head-on, social concerns will
continue to block progress on economic and ecological aims and
the overall achievement of sustainable development.
– Economic progress can improve the status of women, but a
country cannot advance if its women are left behind.

9. Findings
• The three pillars of sustainable development- economic,
social and environmental development cannot be
achieved or sustained without paying careful attention to
gender-based differences.
• Due to socially-constructed roles, men and boys usually
have an advantage over women and girls in access to
resources, decision-making, and capacity to take
advantage of social, political, and economic
opportunities.
• To enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of
development interventions, these differences need to be
understood and factored into policies and programs.

10. Conclusion
• As indicated by both theory and evidence, the lack of
progress on gender equality may be at the heart of the
failure to advance on sustainable development.
• If women were in more productive and decision-making
roles, we could be moving faster and more assuredly
towards sustainability in the economic, social and
environmental sense.
• Sustainable development is a political concept because
it is about good governance, which will be hard to
achieve until we get closer to gender parity.

11. Recommendations
• If gender barriers and stereotypes are broken down, there will be
more freedom to choose one’s role in society and less pressure for
men to be the sole or main breadwinner of the family.
• Having more income from women’s work will provide greater
financial security for their households and nations generally.
• It will bring about stronger economic growth, higher productivity, and
improved sustainability of social, economic and environmental
protection systems.
• Children on the other hand will be able to spend more time with both
of their parents, and as they grow up, they will find it normal for
fathers to spend more time at home and mothers to spend more
time at work.
• More gender equality is a win-win proposition for every one
involved.

12. Thank you for listening