SGG 3: Gender Equality and Empowerment
A core pillar of the Agenda for Social Equity 2074, establishing a universal reference standard for gender‑equitable rights, participation, and protection across all social systems.
Goal Statement and Definition
Goal Statement
Ensure full gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity, through the elimination of discrimination, violence, and structural barriers, and through equal rights, opportunities, representation, and protection across social, economic, political, and institutional life.
Definition
For the purposes of Agenda 2074, gender equality and empowerment refers to the condition in which individuals of all genders enjoy equal rights, access, agency, and protection under law and in practice. Empowerment entails the ability to participate meaningfully in decision‑making, to access education, work, resources, and services without discrimination, and to live free from violence, exploitation, and coercion. Gender equality includes the obligation to identify, prevent, and remedy structural and cultural practices that produce unequal outcomes across the life course.
Strategic Rationale
Gender inequality remains one of the most persistent and system‑wide sources of social inequity. It limits educational attainment, suppresses economic participation, exacerbates health risks, and weakens governance by excluding half the population from full agency and representation. Where gender inequalities persist, social systems function below capacity and intergenerational disadvantage becomes entrenched.
Agenda for Social Equity 2074 therefore treats gender equality not as a sectoral issue, but as a structural condition for lawful governance, resilient institutions, and sustainable social development. Empowerment is understood as both an individual and institutional outcome: it requires rights‑based legal frameworks, equitable labor and care systems, safe public and private spaces, and decision‑making structures that reflect gender diversity. Progress under this goal strengthens all other Social Global Goals, from decent work and youth development to civic participation and ethical technology governance.
Targets
In order to realise this goal, institutions across the public, private, cooperative, and civil‑society spheres should, as a minimum:
- Eliminate discriminatory laws, policies, and practices affecting women and girls, and ensure equal legal protection and enforcement.
- Prevent, respond to, and remedy all forms of gender‑based violence, including in domestic, public, workplace, and digital settings.
- Ensure equal access to education, work, resources, and leadership opportunities across all sectors and levels.
- Recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work through inclusive social and labor arrangements.
- Ensure meaningful participation and representation of women in political, economic, and institutional decision‑making.
Targets are framed as structural standards and may be implemented through diverse institutional models, provided that their equity and empowerment intent is preserved.
Indicative Indicators
Progress under SGG 3 may be illustrated through proportionate, non‑financial indicators, including but not limited to:
- Legal and policy frameworks ensuring gender equality and protection from discrimination and violence.
- Representation of women in leadership, governance, and decision‑making roles across sectors.
- Access parity indicators in education, employment, and income‑generating opportunities.
- Availability and utilization of prevention, protection, and support services related to gender‑based violence.
- Institutional measures addressing unpaid care work, including leave policies and care infrastructure.
Indicators emphasize rights realization, safety, participation, and institutional accountability rather than isolated output measures.
Alignment with Global and Regional Frameworks
Social Global Goal 3 reinforces the commitments of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), while also strengthening linkages to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), by positioning gender equality as a prerequisite for social equity and institutional legitimacy.
The goal aligns strongly with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, notably Aspiration 6 (An Africa Whose Development Is People‑Driven, Relying on the Potential of African People, Especially Women and Youth) and Aspiration 3 (An Africa of Good Governance, Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law), by emphasizing women’s rights, leadership, and participation as central to development and governance.
In European contexts, SGG 3 complements the European Green Deal by addressing the gender dimensions of the just transition, including women’s participation in emerging green sectors, protection against transition‑related labor displacement, and equitable access to skills, innovation, and decision‑making in climate and industrial transformation processes.
Position within Agenda 2074
