SDG 5 and SDG 16 as drivers of prosperity and enablers of the 2030 Agenda
SDG 5 on Gender Equality and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Institutions are closely interlinked and mutually reinforcing, both serving as critical enablers of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Inclusive, transparent, and accountable institutions are key drivers of gender equality, and peaceful and just societies can only be built when women and girls are fully empowered to participate and lead in decision-making processes. Together, these goals lay the foundation for resilient and inclusive sustainable development and equitable prosperity for all by advancing accountable governance, equal rights, access to justice, and inclusive policies that deliver on all the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda.
International IDEA’s Report on SDG 16 as an Enabler of the 2030 Agenda, unpacked these assertions and identified clear interlinkages between SDG 16 and all other SDGs, with the most significant evidence for SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Participatory decision making, justice, reducing arms flow and organized crime, reducing corruption, and peace were the dimensions of SDG 16 with the strongest interlinkages across the 2030 Agenda, underscoring the crucial role of rights, participation, representation and the rule of law in achieving sustainable development.
A new publication by International IDEA, to be launched at this side-event in the margins of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum, also shows strong correlations between gender equality and economic equality, and a correlation between gender equality and GDP per capita. The analysis further identifies a significant correlation between SDG 5 and basic welfare indicators — countries that do better on gender equality also tend to do better on basic welfare outcomes, in particular on health and education equality (the extent to which health outcomes and access to healthcare services are equitably distributed across different population groups).
Despite these assertions on the enabling effect of SDG 5 and SDG 16 for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, progress on both is lagging seriously behind. All key indicators of SDG 16 in areas such as Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation have seen their global averages decline since 2015 across all regions. Global levels of gender equality have improved by just 2% since 2015—a modest gain that masks troubling regressions in regions like South, Central, and East Asia, Southern Africa, and even North America.
The regression in SDG 16 and gender equality risks triggering broader setbacks across the entire 2030 Agenda. To prevent this, policies advancing gender equality and inclusive, accountable governance must be urgently prioritized, as they are key drivers of progress on poverty, health, education, and economic growth, which lead to prosperity more broadly.
This event, hosted by International IDEA and Switzerland, aims to bring together UN Member States, civil society, international organizations and other stakeholders that contribute to advancing both goals, to discuss progress, setbacks, and policy solutions for the way forward.
