Tackling Gender Inequality in 2024

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels

By Marire Adebanjo

As we move closer to 2030, the deadline for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Gender Equality (SDG 5) remains frustratingly slow. Despite some advancements, significant barriers persist that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential. Understanding these challenges, and what actions are needed, highlights the urgency for a global shift toward equality.

Where We Are Today: Milestones and Setbacks

There have been some notable advancements in gender equality globally. Women now hold about one in four parliamentary seats—a significant rise from a decade ago, and poverty rates for women and girls are starting to decline post the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2019, fifty-six countries have enacted reforms to reduce gender discrimination, covering areas such as political inclusion and workplace rights. Yet, even with these changes, true gender parity in government representation remains distant, projected for 2063, while eradicating poverty for women and girls could take as long as 137 years.

The underlying causes are vast. Many women and girls continue to face forced early marriages, and gendered expectations place a disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic work on them. In regions like sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls spend about 250 million hours a day collecting water—three times the amount of time spent by men and boys, significantly limiting their access to education, work, and other opportunities.

In Nigeria, while progress has been slow, recent years have seen incremental increases in female representation in both the judiciary and legislative branches. For example, the judiciary has welcomed a growing number of female judges, a step forward in achieving gender balance in decision-making roles. However, legislative representation for women still lags, with fewer than 10% of National Assembly seats held by women; a significant gap in achieving equitable governance.

Economic Implications: The Price of Inaction

Failure to address gender inequality carries massive economic costs. Not investing in women’s education and employment impacts the global economy, with recent estimates suggesting a loss of over $10 trillion annually. In the agricultural sectors alone, closing gender gaps in productivity could add $1 trillion to the global GDP while alleviating food insecurity for millions. Moreover, bridging the digital gender divide could add another $500 billion to low- and middle-income countries over the next five years, highlighting the financial gains of inclusivity.

In 2024, the UN has identified six transformative areas that can drive Gender Equality progress: food systems, energy access, digital connectivity, quality education, job creation, and climate resilience. Addressing these sectors can lead to widespread benefits, from enhancing productivity in agriculture to creating millions of jobs, particularly in the care economy. Such initiatives underscore how structural investments can improve women’s access to essential resources and build resilient communities.

A Call for Urgent Action

With only six years left to meet the 2030 targets, SDG 5 requires urgent and targeted investment. Building systems that support gender equality is not only morally imperative but also economically strategic. For gender equality to become a reality, governments, organizations, and individuals worldwide need to commit to actionable steps and measurable progress that uplift women and girls across every facet of society.

Shades of Us plays a vital role in advancing this cause, not only through advocacy and awareness campaigns but by creating narratives that highlight gender inequalities and explore pathways toward a more equitable society.

Gender equality remains a critical issue in achieving sustainable development and human rights. The journey to achieve SDG 5 remains complex, but targeted interventions, backed by policy support and investment, can help make a world of equality and opportunity possible.