Assignment:
INTRODUCTION
In 2015, the United Nations released a set of 17 goals, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; 2015), to be achieved by the year 2030. These goals, developed collaboratively by member states, target a diverse array of issues, including poverty, hunger, and environmental sustainability. This set of goals follows another initiative by the United Nations called the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). These goals were developed in the year 2000 with an end date of 2015. They included the following eight goals: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Achieve universal primary education, Promote gender equality and empower women, Reduce child mortality, Improve maternal health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability, and institute a global partnership for development. Although progress was made by many member states during the 15 year period of the Millenium Development Goals, advances in the targeted areas was uneven and many countries had very limited resources to dedicate to development in this regard.
When the MDGs expired in 2015, the United Nations developed and implemented a set of goals, again applicable to all nations, called "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs). There are 17 goals in total that cover essentially every aspect of sustainable development, including goals such as eliminating poverty, reducing inequalities, and protecting the environment. Within each of the SDGs are various indicators that make up the larger goals. Working towards achieving these smaller, individual indicators listed under each goal will guide nations towards achieving each of the larger goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals build upon the MDGs to initiate a global awareness of the problems facing our world as well as to disseminate information and aid to countries trying to meet the SDGs. In addition, the goals are strategically intertwined so that working towards one goal requires a focus on related goals as well. The SDGs represent a critical step in attaining sustainable and lasting development across the globe. They also brings together an international community of stakeholders who all have an interest in attaining sustainable development and promoting peace throughout the world.
The focus in this anthology is achieving SDG number 5, gender equality, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This goal can only be met in the region if its governments also focus on some of the other SDGs that are very relevant to women The particular SDGs that the MENA region needs to focus on in order to achieve gender equality are: No Poverty (SDG 1); Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3); Quality Education (SDG 4); Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6); Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8); and Industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9). All of these goals are pertinent to the region and what the region needs to improve upon in order to develop.
Poverty and lack of employment opportunities are some of the biggest impediments facing women in the MENA region. While every citizen in the region is exposed to these unfavorable conditions, women are at a particular disadvantage. This keeps multitudes of women under the poverty line and unable to provide for themselves and their families. The poor quality of MENA education also makes it more difficult for women to enter the workforce, further exacerbating poverty. In addition, impediments to health and well-being, including limited access to healthcare and proper sanitation processes, also harm women in unique ways. Women are exposed to unsafe environmental and health conditions, and they are unable to get adequate healthcare in order to mediate this problem. This further places women at a disadvantage. These conditions combined paint an unfortunate picture for women in the MENA region.
In addition, all of these goals particularly affect women in MENA in comparison to men. While men in the region are deeply affected by underdevelopment and poverty, women are affected on a greater scale. The papers included in this anthology aim to illuminate some of the economic, educational, and health-related issues that women in the MENA region must face on a daily basis.
Because the SDGs are intertwined with one another, in order for a nation to achieve gender equality, the nation must focus on the other Sustainable Development Goals that would help to reduce inequalities women face throughout the world. In the MENA region, achieving economic growth, education, and health and well-being are all essential in order to meet SDG 5, gender equality. The leaders in the MENA region have much to do to ensure gender equality and sustainable development.
For the MENA region to achieve gender equality (SDG 5), leaders must focus on issues of economic stagnation, unemployment, poor quality education systems, impediments to health and well-being, and limited sanitation processes. All of these issues impact women in serious and unique ways. Because women are more vulnerable in the region than men, they are affected differently and in more intense ways than men are. Achieving gender equality in the MENA region will require a dedicated focus to various other SDGs that we have presented in this work.
COMBINED OUTLINE FOR INTRO & CONCLUSION
• Intro/Conclusion
o Having Agency
o SDGs = expansive and goals are intertwined
o Its essential to meet all the following goals in order to achieve gender equality
• SDG 1: No Poverty
o Ensuring prosperity for all
o waves of refugees over the past 10 plus years, increasing poverty, and a large population and high birth rate. Jordanian women are particularly vulnerable as the gender gap in education, work opportunities, access to healthcare, etc has not been reached, nor much progress made.
• SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
o Women and Development
o Limited Employment Opportunities
o Wage Inequality
o Youth Bulge
o Neoliberalism and Structural Adjustment
o Implications of gender gap in the workforce
• SDG 4: Quality Education
o Inclusive and equitable quality education
o Enrollment Rates
o Limited Access to Quality Education
o If all children in impoverished international locations could read, global poverty would fall
o these degrees are not translated into opportunities for women because often times they are barred from application or unable to progress in their careers.
• SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation
o Related to SDG 3 >
• SDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
o Health Care Access
o HIV/AIDS
o Gender-based violence
• SDG 9: Industry, Infrastructure, & Innovation
o Gender inequality in MENA is disadvantageous for countries for several reasons including the ignorance of potential talent for various industries and the hindrance of economic growth and innovation.