Will global family planning meet galvanise governments to deliver on gender equality?
SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS
Gender equality is vital if we want to deliver on SDGs by 2030 (only 97 months left)
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Gender equality is an essential cog-in-the-wheel of human development which is socially just and ecologically sustainable. That is why governments worldwide have committed to deliver on this promise by 2030 along with other sustainable development goals (SDGs). But progress on gender equality and other SDGs has been sketchy and far from satisfactory. With less than 97 months left to meet these goals it is high time to listen to the alarm bells and take corrective actions to try to get on track to deliver on all SDGs, globally including those of gender equality and human rights "where no one is left behind".
2022 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2022) will be held in Thailand for the first time in the ICFP history. Co-hosted by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, along with Thailand's Ministry of Public Health, Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Population and Community Development Association, this conference is an important forum where a broad range of stakeholders and experts who work on a wide array of issues around sexual and reproductive health and rights will take part. Will ICFP 2022 spur renewed commitments on gender justice?
Progress has happened but not enough, and not everywhere
Progress on gender equality and human rights has not been on track to meet the 2030 goals. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic had hit us, most countries in the world were not likely to meet the 2030 goals on gender equality.
Agrees Sonal Mehta, South Asia Regional Director of International Planned Parenthood Federation: "We would not have met our gender equality related targets and goals by 2030 even if the COVID-19 pandemic had not hit us."
Also, progress is not uniform. A few countries have made considerable progress, and some are lagging far behind. There are inequalities between the Global North and Global South countries, and even within nations (rich and poor nations alike). Some countries have made progress on selective goals and targets while turning a blind's eye on other goals and targets, or even taking regressive and harmful steps on some goals and targets.
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