6. Sustainable Development and Curbing Gender Inequality Through Inclusion of Women in Policymaking

Gender inequality and sustainable development are two major problems in most developing and underdeveloped countries. Nominal changes were witnessed after adopting “The Beijing Declaration” by 189 governments in 1995. In 2015, around 193 countries committed to 17 SDGs, but the progress toward gender equality was not that rapid. There is a lot to be done on this front. Gender equality is a human right, not just an ideology. How can a country or a society develop socially, economically, or politically when most of its population is disparaged? Sustainable development Goal 5 states that “Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial to accelerating sustainable development”. Historically, women were instrumental in changing history; for example, Virginia Woolf fought for working-class women and raised her voice against gender inequality, and Indira Gandhi, who is also known as the Iron lady of India, made her mark in the major political and economic decisions which had changed the course of India’s development. The current chapter elucidates the importance of social development and how gender inequality can be curtailed by involving women in policymaking with some examples.