SDG5 Unattainable by 2030: Another 40 Years for Parliamentary Gender Equality

The most recent UN progress report on the SDG's has shown worrying numbers that indicate that it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and removing of discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and at least 40 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. To eradicate child marriage by 2030, progress must be 17 times faster than progress of the last decade, with girls from the poorest rural households and in conflict-affected areas expected to suffer the most. This reflects a lack of data and investment to comprehensively monitor SDG5 and should call for more investment and research into collecting gender analysis. It is urgent that member states, politicians and decision-makers bring more attention to issues of gender inequality. At this point, women and girls remain invisible and are not prioritized in global issues.