SGG 9: Eradication of Social Inequality
A core pillar of the Agenda for Social Equity 2074, establishing a universal reference standard for identifying, reducing, and eliminating systemic and structural social inequalities across societies.
Goal Statement and Definition
Goal Statement
Ensure the progressive eradication of social inequalities by addressing structural, institutional, and systemic factors that produce unequal outcomes across income, gender, age, geography, ethnicity, disability, and social status, and by enabling equitable participation and opportunity for all individuals.
Definition
For the purposes of Agenda 2074, eradication of social inequality refers to sustained, intentional action to remove institutional, legal, economic, and cultural mechanisms that create or maintain unequal life chances. Social inequality is understood not merely as disparity in outcomes, but as a pattern of disadvantage rooted in access to resources, power, services, and decision‑making. Eradication requires both preventive and corrective measures embedded across social systems.
Strategic Rationale
Social inequality undermines societal stability, economic resilience, and democratic legitimacy. When advantage and disadvantage are structurally reproduced through institutions, markets, and social norms, inequality becomes resistant to isolated interventions and self‑perpetuating across generations. High inequality weakens social cohesion, constrains productivity, and erodes trust between citizens and institutions.
Agenda for Social Equity 2074 therefore frames the eradication of social inequality as a system‑wide obligation, not a residual redistribution effort. Effective action requires that inequity is identified early, addressed structurally, and corrected through coordinated policies, inclusive governance, and accountability mechanisms. Progress under this goal enables other Social Global Goals to function as intended, ensuring that improvements in education, work, health, and participation are shared equitably.
Targets
In order to realise this goal, institutions across the public, private, cooperative, and civil‑society spheres should, as a minimum:
- Identify and address structural sources of inequality embedded in laws, policies, institutions, and market systems.
- Reduce persistent disparities in access to education, health, employment, housing, and political participation.
- Prevent discriminatory practices and unequal treatment through enforceable safeguards and oversight mechanisms.
- Ensure equitable distribution of opportunities, resources, and social benefits across population groups and regions.
- Establish transparency, monitoring, and redress mechanisms to detect and correct inequality over time.
Targets are diagnostic and corrective in nature and may be implemented through diverse policy and institutional pathways, provided that their focus on structural equity is preserved.
Indicative Indicators
Progress under SGG 9 may be illustrated through proportionate, non‑financial indicators, including but not limited to:
- Distributional disparities in access to essential services and social opportunities.
- Representation gaps across decision‑making bodies, leadership roles, and institutions.
- Legal and policy audits identifying inequality‑producing provisions or practices.
- Incidence and resolution of discrimination complaints or inequity‑related grievances.
- Longitudinal indicators capturing convergence or divergence of outcomes across social groups.
Indicators emphasize structural patterns, persistence, and corrective capacity rather than short‑term variance.
Alignment with Global and Regional Frameworks
Social Global Goal 9 reinforces and extends the equity aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), while strengthening linkages to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), by framing inequality as a systemic governance challenge.
The goal aligns closely with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, notably Aspiration 1 (A Prosperous Africa Based on Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development) and Aspiration 3 (An Africa of Good Governance, Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law), by emphasizing inclusive growth, social justice, and structural equity across societies.
In European contexts, SGG 9 complements the European Green Deal by addressing distributional justice and social equity in the context of economic, climate, and digital transitions. It reinforces the principle that structural transformation must reduce, rather than exacerbate, existing inequalities within and between communities.
Position within Agenda 2074
