Findings from the 2024 SDG Gender Index: A gender equal future in crisis?

FOCUS

The 2024 SDG Gender Index by Equal Measures 2030, a coalition of civil society and non-profit organisations, delivers a critical and sobering message on the state of gender equality with only six years left to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Covering 96 per cent of the world's women and girls, the 2024 Index measures progress on gender equality in 139 countries using three reference years (2015, 2019 and 2022) and scoring each country on a scale from zero to 100.

The 47-page report is divided into ten broad sections. Through evidentiary data and comparing progress with previous years it highlights that no country has achieved gender equality as outlined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Index highlights key findings in terms of both negative and positive changes. Negative change or backsliding is concerning as it forecasts worsening of global gender inequality. It notes that current trends indicate global gender equality will not be achieved until the 22nd century.

The index shows how gender equality is intertwined with the entire 2030 agenda and the way worsening gender equality will in turn exacerbate other crises.

    FACTOIDS

  1. The index finds that global gender inequality could be worse in 2030 than when the SDGs were introduced back in 2015. From 2019 to 2022, 40 per cent of the countries representing over one billion women and girls in 2022, either stagnated or regressed in terms of gender equality.

  2. Switzerland was the highest ranked country in the 2024 index with a score of 90.1 out of 100. It was followed by Sweden (89.3), Denmark (89), Norway (88.5) and Finland (87.2).

  3. The worst performing country on the index was Afghanistan with a score of 35.4. The other four countries ranked lowest were Chad (40.1), Niger (41), Sierra Leone (42) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (42.2).

  4. India was ranked 91 out of 139 countries with a score of 61.2. It showed ‘fast progress’ between 2015 and 2022. The report also projected that the country would continue to progress fast on gender issues from 2022 to 2030.

  5. Equal Measures 2030 members found several interconnected crises which had a negative impact on gender equality. The financial resource crunch in recent years meant investment of public funds on protecting and advancing gender equality was deprioritised. Economic inequality, political and societal polarisation, and the resultant conflict led to a ‘democracy crunch’ negatively impacting the state of women.

  6. As many as 91 countries had ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ scores in 2022 for individual rights, personal autonomy and freedom from discrimination. Also in 2022, the number of women and girls living in conflict-affected countries rose to 614 million, a 50 per cent increase from the figure in 2017.

  7. The index recommends a blueprint for governments to improve women’s condition in society. This blueprint encompass a variety of measures such as elevating women’s and girl’s leadership and voice, reforming and applying equality laws, promoting ‘data-feminism’ and closing gender-sensitive data gaps, increasing resources and investments for gender-responsive budgets, progressive taxation and public infrastructure. It also notes the significance of investment in space for feminist organisations and movements to protect gender equality.

  8. The report notes a negative change in terms of societies being less cooperative, more hostile towards women’s rights. This has resulted in the deprioritising of women’s rights at the same time as anti-gender financing is rising. Language previously accepted in international agreements regarding gender equality is also being removed. Such actions will lead to a ‘gender inequality trap’ which exacerbates social and economic crises, the report warns.

  9. Violent conflict, high levels of absolute poverty, poor basic services and infrastructure, lack of laws that protect discrimination based on sexuality and high rates of adolescent fertility were some visible common themes characterising the countries which had a ‘very poor’ gender equality score.

  10. The backsliding trend is not limited to the poorest countries or those ranked lowest on the index. The United States, Poland, Sri Lanka and Kenya all experienced declines in their index scores, while Austria, France and Malta, with stagnant scores between 2019 and 2022, faced the risk of slipping into decline.


    Focus and Factoids by Maitreyi Jha.

AUTHOR

Equal Measures 2030

COPYRIGHT

Equal Measures 2030

PUBLICATION DATE

2024

TAGS

#women #gender-equality #sustainable-development-goals #gender

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