Worldwide, nearly 2.4 billion women of working age do not have the same legal rights as men, according to a 2023 report by Women, Business and the Law, a World Bank Group project. That’s an astounding fact, considering women make up just over 50% of the global labor force, produce 80% of food in developing countries, and provide the majority — upward of 75% — of unpaid care to children and adults in their families.
Gender equality is one of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals for the planet and its population. The sustainable development goals, ranging from eradicating poverty to protecting the climate, are connected in a way that achieving one goal helps reach another — people with access to nutritious food have a better chance at good health, for instance. But the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women noted that gender equality is at the center of the solution for all the goals.
It’s a belief shared by Adrian Dominican Sr. Durstyne “Dusty” Farnan, a representative to the United Nations for the Dominican Leadership Conference since 2019.
Farnan’s roles have included stints as a teacher, clinical social worker, vocations director and justice promoter. As a formation minister working with Indigenous sisters in Ghana and Kenya, she saw how few rights are granted to African women. In 2015, as part of a delegation visiting Iraq, she discovered how many Iraqis — often disproportionately women and children — were forced from their homes by war and terrorism.
But Farnan also has faith in the power of women.
“We have to keep educating girls because they are our future, our hope that this world will become more equal and that we will become more life-giving,” she said.
GSR: How does gender equality figure into solving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals?
Farnan: All of these sustainable development goals are related to decision-making and leadership. So if we look at the goals through the lens of gender equality, we might begin to see other issues we need to address. But you can’t talk about women without bringing in women. We need women to talk about how they are affected by these goals. We need women to be involved in decision-making and in leadership.
We need to address how women are affected by poverty, hunger, well-being, education or water. Water is a huge women’s equity issue. Do you know how many women walk miles to get a bucket of water to prepare dinner for their families or drink or use in daily life? If women don’t have water, guess what? The men don’t eat.
Look at war and conflict. If women were at the table, do you think there might be some potential resolution to the conflict in Gaza or Israel or Haiti, for that matter?
How can you look at these goals and not see the central role of women in all of them? Women make up half the population of the world, and women have another way of thinking about conflict, about equality, equity, gender, about sexuality. How often have you had conversations regarding one of these goals, but nobody even brings up the role of women?
It’s because we don’t make the connection between them, and making the connection is one of the things all of us have to be better at doing. Not only for the sustainable development goals, but for all the issues we’re talking about.
Gender inequity in wages is a big problem, especially when women can’t earn enough to provide for themselves and their families. Can we help women make strides economically?
Here in New York, you see these young women in and outside of Grand Central Station selling fruit they prepared. They buy the fruit, cut it up, put it in little plastic containers and sell it. This is their informal economy to take care of their families. They do an amazing job, but it’s hard work.
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