Gender equality is advancing around the world. Women in particular are gaining more and more rights and living more and more self-determined lives. Nevertheless, there are different inequalities between men and women around the world. Every sixth woman experiences physical or sexual violence in a partnership. Half of all women cannot freely decide about their sexual life and contraception. A major health problem is the circumcision of young girls, which is practiced in about 30 countries. This affects about one in three women. There are countries where women have no legal protection, where laws against discrimination, violence and exploitation have not been passed.
There is also an inequality of opportunity in other respects: on average, women spend three times as much time as men caring for children or the elderly and doing household chores. They are not paid for this and have less time to do paid work. As a result, they become dependent on their partners and families, especially in old age, as they are not entitled to a sufficient pension. In Germany, women earn about one fifth less per hour worked than men. And this despite the fact that women study just as often and are just as qualified as men. Women often suffer from disadvantages and especially for mothers it is much more difficult to find a job than men or women without children.

Complemented by Your Goal – Your Action:
Gender diversity does not appear in the formulation of the 17 goals. Thus, people outside the binary gender system, inter_ and trans_ persons are not considered in SDG 5 in particular. However, they in particular are often discriminated against and there is often still no visibility for them. Here we would like to explicitly address all genders and think along with them. Gender equality therefore also always means strengthening the rights of trans_, inter_ and non-binary persons or formulating them in the first place.
The original UN wording uses the terms women and girls, particularly in this SDG, which we have expanded to include non-cis males or humans, depending on the context for this homepage. You can find more info about this in the sources.

Reforms should be implemented to provide women with equal rights to economic resources as well as access to land ownership. This should also give them access to other forms of assets, financial services, inheritances and natural resources. The use of basic technologies, especially information and communication technologies, is also to be improved in order to strengthen women’s self-determination. To enforce SDG 5, sound policies and enforceable legislation to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment will also be promoted.