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Light Trust of India beneficiaries show what a strong girl looks like during a site visit in February 2016.
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“Women need to be looked at as decision makers and leaders—and be given the space to develop agency over their lives. Only by empowering women can we achieve sustainable development.” - 2014 grantee, India
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In September 2015, 193 world leaders reached an agreement on the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Two years of consultations and negotiations led to this moment: the launch of a global plan of action with 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to tackle global poverty and ensure climate justice.
VGIF stays in regular contact with our current and former grantees to learn about their perspectives on global initiatives. In the lead-up to the 60th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), VGIF conducted an online survey, asking 2014 and 2015 VGIF grantees to tell us about their priorities and expectations related to the SDGs. We received responses from 51 grassroots female leaders, input that will help us share our grantees’ voices at CSW60 in March.
Setting Priorities
Respondents identified the five SDGs they consider most critical to advancing the rights of women and girls in their communities. Interestingly, the top five goals were the first five. All but two respondents identified Goal 5, to achieve gender equality, as a main priority. Most also noted that although this goal is a top priority, gender equality is actually a prerequisite for achieving any of the other goals. As one respondent said, “In a nutshell, no progress is genuine, no development is credible or sustainable if the woman is left out.”
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A Vision for Inclusive Development
All but four VGIF respondents said that the SDGs have an impact on their work locally, and more than 60 percent said that the SDGs are important tools for education, advocacy, and partnership. But they also said that to be effective, the SDGs must create spaces for women and girls to both participate and lead. “What we need,” one respondent explained, “is a development agenda that believes in our strengths and potential and empowers us in the process. What we need is social participation and political inclusion.”
We will share more details on our survey findings on the VGIF website and through other media.
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VGIF at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60)
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Join us for a VGIF event during CSW60, which will be held in New York City from March 14-24, 2016. We hope to see you at the Networking Reception on Monday, March 14 and our parallel event, Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Development: Learning from Leaders on the Ground, on Wednesday, March 23. Details can be found online at http://www.vgif.org/csw60/.
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“My love for the UN grows every year. It was the one place where I saw women talk to each other, to governments, and to corporations, to make change,” says Michaela. You can read about Michaela and her continued support of the VGIF UN Internship Program and its interns in February’s Portrait: http://vgif.org/blog/category/portraits/.
Many thanks to Amanda Goss for another terrific portrait sketch!
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