SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5: GENDER EQUALITY

Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

a. Ending all discrimination against women and girls is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for sustainable development.

b. This goal focuses on eliminating all forms of violence, trafficking, and sexual exploitation, recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work.

c. It ensures women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities in leadership and decision-making across all sectors.

GOAL 5 TARGETS

• 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls, including trafficking and exploitation.
• 5.3: Eliminate harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM.
• 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work, and promote shared responsibility.
• 5.5: Ensure women’s full participation and equal leadership opportunities in political, economic, and public life.
• 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• 5.7: Reform laws to give women equal rights to economic resources and property.
• 5.8: Enhance the use of technology to promote women’s empowerment.
• 5.9: Adopt and enforce policies and legislation for gender equality and empowerment.

CURRENT CHALLENGES

• Economic Inequality: Women earn 23% less than men globally and spend about three times more hours on unpaid domestic and care work.
• Violence and Exploitation: Sexual violence, unequal domestic responsibilities, and discrimination in public offices remain significant barriers.
• Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic has worsened these issues, with increases in sexual violence, added care work for women due to school closures, and the majority of health and social workers being women.
• Long-Term Projections: At the current rate:
  • 300 years to end child marriage
  • 286 years to close legal protection gaps
  • 140 years for equal representation in the workplace
  • 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments
• Decision-Making Power: Nearly half of married women lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health.
• Violence: 35% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence. One in three girls in certain regions undergo FGM, which can have severe health consequences.
• Impact on Life Quality: Violence undermines women’s quality of life and societal participation.

Facts and Figures

• Indicators: Only 15.4% of Goal 5 indicators are on track, 61.5% are moderately distant, and 23.1% are far from targets.
• Economic Inequality: 2.4 billion women do not have equal economic rights as men, with 178 countries maintaining legal barriers.
• Child Marriage: In 2019, one in five women aged 20-24 were married before 18.

INDIA & SDG 5

• India’s progress towards Goal 5 is measured using nine national indicators, which track seven out of the nine SDG targets for 2030.
• These indicators help gauge performance at the sub-national level and ensure comparability across States and Union Territories (UTs).

GOAL 5 INDEX SCORES

• States: Scores range between 39 and 74.
• UTs: Scores range between 41 and 65.
• Top Performers: Nagaland (States) and Lakshadweep (UTs) are leading in performance.
• Front Runners: Four States and one UT are in the Front Runners category (scores between 65 and 100).
• Aspirants: Twelve States and two UTs are in the Aspirants category (scores below 50).

KEY INDICATORS

• Sex Ratio:
  • Current Ratio: 929 females per 1,000 males (NFHS-5, 2019–2021).
  • National Target: 950 females per 1,000 males.
  • Top Performer: Tripura with 1,028 females per 1,000 males.
  • Lowest Ratio: Goa with 838 females per 1,000 males.
• Wage Gap Among Regular Employees:
  • Current Ratio: Women earn about 75% of what men earn (PLFS 2022–2023).
  • Top States: Rajasthan (0.91) and Goa (0.90).
  • Lowest Ratio: Odisha (0.59).
  • Top UTs: Delhi (1.00) and Ladakh (0.87).
• Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):
  • Current Ratio: 0.48 (aged 15–59 years, PLFS 2022–2023).
  • National Target: 1.00 (parity).
  • Top State: Himachal Pradesh (0.89).
  • Lowest State: Assam (0.22).
• Women in Managerial Positions:
  • Current Rate: 210 women per 1,000 managerial posts.
  • Top State: Nagaland (286 women per 1,000 positions).
  • Top UT: Delhi (221 women per 1,000 positions).
• Family Planning:
  • Current Satisfaction Rate: 74.1% of currently married women aged 15–49 (NFHS-5, 2019–2021).
  • Top State: Andhra Pradesh (93.5%).
  • Lowest State: Manipur (24.7%).
  • Top UT: Puducherry (81.3%).
• Operational Landholdings:
  • Current Share: 13.96% of female-operated landholdings (Agriculture Census 2015–2016).
  • Top State: Meghalaya (34.42%).
  • Lowest State: Punjab (1.55%).
  • National Target: 50% female-operated landholdings.
• Women Owning Mobile Phones:
  • Current Ownership: 53.9% (NFHS-5, 2019–2021).
  • Top State: Goa (91.2%).
  • Lowest State: Madhya Pradesh (38.5%).
  • Top UT: Lakshadweep (84%).
• Women Participation in Household Decisions:
  • Current Rate: 88.7% (NFHS-5, 2019–2021).
  • Top State: Nagaland (99.2%).
  • Lowest State: Karnataka (82.7%).
  • Top UT: Puducherry (97.9%).

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