Financing For Gender Equality In The Context Of The Sustainable Development Goals

This publication identifies a series of macro-level tools to create a supportive environment and generate the resources to promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality. A key argument is that financing for gender equality can be self-sustaining because of the feedback effects from gender equality to economy-wide well-being. The author explores investments into physical and social infrastructures, as well as monetary policy tools to promote gender equality.

This collection of essays addresses the glaring gap between policy commitments and actual investments in gender equality, ranging across sectors and focusing on development aid, peace-building and climate funds. Casting a spotlight on the application of gender-responsive budgeting in public budgetary policies, systems and processes, the contributions to this volume explore the chequered trajectories of these efforts in Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Andalucía. Critiquing systems of finance, from adherence to neo-liberal macroeconomic fundamentals which prioritise fiscal austerity, the book makes a compelling case for reframing and re-prioritizing budgets to comply with human rights standards, with a particular view to realizing women’s rights. The authors highlight the paltry funding for women’s rights organizations and movements and examine the prospects for making financing gender responsive. The specific policy, strategy and technical recommendations and the connections across silos which articulate the authors’ suggested operational levers will appeal to researchers, practitioners, students, policymakers, gender equality and human rights activists alike.

This open access book analyses the interplay of sustainable development and human rights from different perspectives including fight against poverty, health, gender equality, working conditions, climate change and the role of private actors. Each aspect is addressed from a more human rights-focused angle and a development-policy angle. This allows comparisons between the different approaches but also seeks to close gaps which would remain if only one perspective would be at the center of the discussions. Specifically, the book shows the strong connections between human rights and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Already the preamble of this document explicitly states that "the 17 Sustainable Development Goals ... seek to realise the human rights of all". Moreover, several goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda correspond to already existing individual human rights obligations. The contributions of this volume therefore also address how the implementation of human rights and SDGs can reinforce each other, but also point to critical shortcomings of the different approaches.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a goal to achieve gender equality for all women and girls and a re-commitment to governments’ human rights obligations. At the same time, governments have agreed to a range of strategies for financing the Agenda that arguably undermine their ability to fulfil women’s human rights and advance a just and gender-equitable model of development. This publication critically evaluates this potential contradiction with a focus on the key financing strategies of trade and investment liberalization, sovereign debt resolution, international private finance, and public-private partnerships, as well as the role of the global partnership for development. Recommendations are made to better align financing targets with the objective of supporting the enjoyment of women’s human rights. Finally, the work reflects on the inherent limitations in the 2030 Agenda and the need for an urgent shift to a model of development justice.

For pathways to be truly sustainable and advance gender equality and the rights and capabilities of women and girls, those whose lives and well-being are at stake must be involved in leading the way. Gender Equality and Sustainable Development calls for policies, investments and initiatives in sustainable development that recognize women’s knowledge, agency and decision-making as fundamental. Four key sets of issues - work and industrial production; population and reproduction; food and agriculture, and water, sanitation and energy provide focal lenses through which these challenges are considered. Perspectives from new feminist political ecology and economy are integrated, alongside issues of rights, relations and power. The book untangles the complex interactions between different dimensions of gender relations and of sustainability, and explores how policy and activism can build synergies between them. Finally, this book demonstrates how plural pathways are possible; underpinned by different narratives about gender and sustainability, and how the choices between these are ultimately political. This timely book will be of great interest to students, scholars, practitioners and policy makers working on gender, sustainable development, development studies and ecological economics.

Climate change affects everyone, independent of race, nationality or gender status. Nevertheless, there are countries and people that are more affected: In many ways, women exceptionally suffer from climate change’s effects. But how are climate change and women’s rights connected with each other? To what extent do G7 nations provide developing countries with funds for climate change activities? How do they promote gender equality? Do the G7 nations correctly report their aid activities? This book shows the unsatisfying quality of the nations’ self-reporting and explains the possible reasons for as well as the consequences of the deviations. It detects to what extent gender equality is promoted in climate change projects and recommends improvements concerning women’s rights. Keywords: - Feminism; - Global Warming; - Emissions; - Adaptation; - Sustainable Development Goals; - Inequality

This book invites readers to think about future directions in social development. The book succinctly presents the historical context and progress of social development. By reflecting on the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, it discusses the increasing global relevance of several critical themes and issues such as human rights and good governance, participation, peace, gender, environment, religion and spirituality, aging, social protection and partnership. It appreciates the importance of goals and targets, but calls to look beyond them to visualise future directions in social development. The book argues that values-driven social development needs to focus on knowledge creation, dissemination and training, draw on multidisciplinary knowledge and professionals, promote conscientious consumption, create less unequal societies and engage in innovation that brings happiness to everyone.

Taking a comprehensive global approach, this book identifies the trends, drivers and impact of gender equality. Providing best practice recommendations and posing key challenges for achieving SDG5, this is the only book which comprehensively deals with all the key aspects of the goal based on the latest credible research.