Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

When the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) met February 22 to March 4 in New York, much of the discussion centered on the emerging theme of “Gender Equality and Sustainable Development”. Participants underscored the importance of renewing commitments and strategic partnerships to ensure gender-responsive sustainable development.

Achieving progress in development requires governance structures that promote the voice, participation and decision-making by women at all levels. National economic planning, policy and budget frameworks that fail to recognize the links between gender equality, economic growth and poverty reduction — and that fail to meaningfully involve women in leadership and decision-making positions — will prevent countries from moving towards sustainable development. Efforts are needed to ensure that women become active agents of change in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

These are some of the issues that generated excitement and interest at this year’s CSW:

• Women in decision-making and as agents of change: Women are a powerful source of knowledge and skills. For centuries, women had passed on their skills on how to manage biodiversity, adapting and coping with environmental hazards and a changing climate, and managing waste and sanitation.


• Harnessing women’s local knowledge and skills is critical for protecting, sustaining and managing the environment and its limited resources. Women’s roles at the household and community levels should be expanded to ensure their effective participation in decision-making and to strengthen management of sustainable development processes and governance at the local, national and international levels.


• Women’s contributions to innovation, science and technology for sustainable development: Equal access to education has led to a surge in educational attainment among women and girls, but in many cases women remain underrepresented in the sciences and research. Targeted public support could ensure that girls and women have equal opportunities in education and training in these fields, enabling them to play a stronger role in research and development on environmentally sound technologies.


• Women’s participation in a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication: Governments play a critical role in creating a supportive policy environment for women’s role in a green economy. Women’s economic opportunities could be expanded through targeted capacity-building in public procurement processes for environmentally and socially friendly products and services.