“The world will never realize 100 percent of its goals if 50 percent of its people cannot realize their full potential,” said Ban Ki-Moon, Former United Nations Secretary-General in reference to the post-2015 international development agenda. Equity for women is absolutely essential to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the current rate of progress, estimations by the World Economic Forum suggest that it will take 132 years to reach full gender parity. The gender gap has grown since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global community has not made significant progress since. The success of all global systems relies on us doing so – every system will benefit when we unleash the power of women. Closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs alone could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger. Members of the Movement are dedicated to doing so by ensuring women’s equal access to resources – our network knows that women are community leaders, partners, and drivers of development.
The Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD) was launched in 2015 as a civil society initiative to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We started with five goals that we continue to strive for, one of which is to amplify voices that are often not heard. MCLD works to facilitate partnerships and give women, youth, people with disabilities and all marginalized groups voice in local decision-making. We believe in relationships of trust and mutual respect, and the need to restructure systems to be decentralized. We know that women bear the brunt of responsibility for supporting their families and communities, yet are systematically denied the resources to succeed and the voice in decisions that affect their lives. Our network of 70+ international NGOs and 1500+ civil society organizations works to ensure the inclusion of women in defining our future and finding appropriate solutions.
As we acknowledge International Women’s Day on March 8th, we invite members of our Movement to join us in celebrating all that women bring to the table and continue our commitment to #EmbraceEquity.