Gender parity is a matter of human rights. Beyond this ethical imperative, however, evidence points to the effectiveness of women’s representation in public leadership in accelerating progress. When women are in positions of power, they create inclusive and equitable solutions and policies that tackle critical, cross-cutting development issues: health care, environmental protection, quality education, economic growth, and welfare. As such, women’s representation in public governance will significantly impact efforts to achieve sustainable socioeconomic progress and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Besides having its own SDG — Goal 5 — gender equality cuts across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of the 17 SDGs and is mentioned explicitly in 10 of them. Closing the gender gap is therefore central to the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda as a whole. The political declaration adopted by world leaders at September’s SDG summit reaffirmed the centrality of gender equality for a sustainable development trajectory.
Yet achieving full gender parity still seems beyond our grasp. It will take at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments, 140 years in the workplace, and more than 280 years before the removal of discriminatory laws, according to a U.N. report. This is particularly urgent in Africa, where progress toward overall gender parity is lagging behind most other regions, with sub-Saharan Africa ranking sixth out of eight geographies, while the Middle East and North Africa region occupies the last spot.
About the authors
Christopher Ifeanyi-Nwanze
Christopher Ifeanyi-Nwanze is the director of communications and research at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. He previously headed the Open Society Initiative for West Africa’s communications unit and served as development communications officer with the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa’s African Institute for Economic Development and Planning.
Dr. Frida Njogu-Ndongwe
Dr. Frida Njogu-Ndongwe is a global health and development practitioner, currently the regional director for East and southern Africa at IDinsight. She was previously director of programs at the Center for Health Solutions–Kenya and a consultant at McKinsey & Company’s Africa Delivery Hub. She also served as CEO and co-founder of Afyakit Technologies.
