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Gender Inequality and Sustainable Development: Women’s Empowerment and Effective Participation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 7887

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In 2015, the United Nations set out a series of goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to improve the lives of everyone, both environmentally and socially. The Agenda contains 17 Sustainable Development Goal—SDGs—among which, in fifth place, is gender equality. Since then, however, cultural progress has not always been followed by deeds, evidenced by income inequality in the same job positions still being great, top or managerial roles being de facto reserved for men, and poverty being higher among older women than men.

Sustainability does not only mean environmental care and ecological transition. It is a more complex concept that concerns the relationship between the economy and society and is therefore also part of broader social sustainability, of which gender equality is one of the pillars. In fact, it goes far beyond the issue of gender equality or social justice. In fact, for Goal 5 of the UN 2030 Agenda, gender equality, empowerment, and self-determination of all women and girls are not just a few issues among others but rather the strategic theme that cuts across all the other goals. None of them can be tackled without the gender lens that envisages an active, leading, and empowering role for women; no society can prosper if it wastes, disperses, and plunders half of its human resources.

The economic culture we know is characterised by an iron distinction between economic/non-economic, work/non-work, and, considering that the production of exchange values is the main economic activity, the only work considered as such is 'paid' work. Again, economic responsibilities belong to the man, non-economic responsibilities to the woman. On this dichotomy are built the social and even interpersonal relations that structure the power relations between the sexes.

Breaking free from this dichotomy means putting the sustainability of life at the centre, building a worldview that values the links between economic, social, cultural, and symbolic, and re-establishing a symmetrical order between the genders.

The aim of this Special Issue is to fill key gaps in the literature, offering scholars the opportunity to examine emerging trends in corporate policies, strategies, and practices related to sustainability and gender equity issues.

The Special Issue welcomes the submission of both empirical and conceptual articles with research methods that offer theoretical and practical contributions to the areas of interest. We also welcome completed research papers using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods. Contributors are encouraged, but not confined, to focus on the following areas:

Key themes/topics:

  • Measuring the gender gap through indicators;
  • Diversity and equal employment issues in public and private sector organizations;
  • Effective participation and equal opportunities;
  • Gender awareness and awareness of diverse forms of gender inequalities;
  • Gender-equitable sustainable development;
  • Gender equity, environmental sustainability, and climate change;
  • Nexus between gender equity, sustainable consumption, and the green economy;
  • Poverty eradication, human rights issues, and gender equity;
  • Social sustainability, health and wellbeing, women’s empowerment, and gender equity;
  • Sustainability, corporate governance, and gender equity;
  • Sustainable gender equality practice across disciplines;
  • The role of business, government, and society in addressing gender inequity and sustainability challenges.

Dr. Enrico Ivaldi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gender awareness
  • gender equity
  • sustainability
  • effective participation
  • women’s empowerment
  • gender-equitable sustainable development

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3433 KiB  
Article
Fostering Sustainable Female Participation in STEM Through Ecological Systems Theory: A Comparative Study in Three African Countries
by Olusiji Adebola Lasekan, Margot Teresa Godoy Pena, Adeyinka John Odebode, Alfredo Pedro Mabica, Raul Abílio Mabasso and Oluwatosin Mogbadunade
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9560; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219560 - 2 Nov 2024
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Abstract
This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, [...] Read more.
This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, the results demonstrate the critical role of personal interests nurtured by family, showing how direct interactions with family influence STEM engagement at a microsystem level. The mesosystem level reveals the supportive influence of community and school interactions, emphasizing the importance of relationships between different microsystems, such as family–school collaborations, in fostering female participation in STEM. The exosystem level identifies the impact of positive media portrayals and role models, illustrating how external environments indirectly affect perceptions and aspirations in STEM through media and societal influences. The macrosystem level underscores the persistent cultural norms shaping gender roles, reflecting broader societal and cultural values that influence gender diversity in STEM fields, with 63% of respondents in Mozambique, 57% in Nigeria, and 67% in Uganda indicating that societal views on gender roles discouraged participation. Lastly, the chronosystem level captures the temporal changes and progress in gender diversity in STEM, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address longstanding gender imbalances. Despite progress, significant gender imbalances remain, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms. The study proposes a sustainable, collaborative model to foster early interest and sustained participation of females in STEM, emphasizing the importance of seamless cooperation among families, educational institutions, communities, and government bodies. The findings aid in creating supportive environments for sustaining female STEM participation, promoting economic and social development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Full article
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19 pages, 691 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Financial Inclusion and Women’s Financial Worries: Evidence from Saudi Arabia
by Jawaher Binsuwadan, Manal Elhaj, Jihen Bousrih, Fatma Mabrouk and Hind Alofaysan
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198317 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2177
Abstract
Financial inclusion is essential in achieving sustainable development goals in emerging countries. Goal number five of the sustainable development agenda, “Gender equality”, depends on women’s financial empowerment. It enhances women’s ability to make decisions, access resources and income, and control benefits from economic [...] Read more.
Financial inclusion is essential in achieving sustainable development goals in emerging countries. Goal number five of the sustainable development agenda, “Gender equality”, depends on women’s financial empowerment. It enhances women’s ability to make decisions, access resources and income, and control benefits from economic gains and power. The paper investigates the relationship between financial inclusion and women’s financial worries, using the 2021 Global Financial Inclusion Survey recently published by the World Bank for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This paper examines the effects of several aspects of inclusive finance, access, usage, and quality on women’s financial worries. The research implements an ordered probit analysis and contributes to the literature on women’s financial empowerment and inclusion by demonstrating that having access to financial services empowers women to make decisions about their lives, which greatly improves their welfare and sense of security. These findings provide policymakers with different targeted policies and strategic management practices to substantially improve financial inclusion and alleviate financial concerns within the population, especially among women. Full article
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18 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Flying High: Revealing the Sustainability Potential of Women in Aviation
by Maria Vittoria Corazza
Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7229; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167229 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2277
Abstract
This paper explores the predominantly male-dominated aviation sector and highlights the benefits of increasing female representation. The key objectives are to analyze the gender pay gap, assess the current gender imbalance, and explore how addressing these issues could contribute to the sector’s sustainability [...] Read more.
This paper explores the predominantly male-dominated aviation sector and highlights the benefits of increasing female representation. The key objectives are to analyze the gender pay gap, assess the current gender imbalance, and explore how addressing these issues could contribute to the sector’s sustainability and operational success. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodology is employed, including scenario-building based on monetary indicators and achievements from other industries where female workforce participation has been enhanced. The results demonstrate that closing the gender pay gap and boosting female participation in air transport operations, in line with supranational recommendations, can lead to significant financial gains and operational improvements. The study concludes that promoting gender equity is not only a social imperative but also a crucial factor for achieving sustainability goals within aviation. Full article
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