SDG 5 – Gender Equality
“While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.” (UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 5)
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), which has declined by 30% in the past decade, but there is still much work to be done to completely eliminate such practices.
Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. Implementing new legal frameworks regarding female equality in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women is crucial to ending the gender-based discrimination prevalent in many countries around the world.
At the Elsevier Foundation, we continuously work towards achieving gender equality. To know more about our different initiatives, check out the articles below:
Portia: Gender Summits
Empowering and connecting women scientists in China with CWAST Women in Science workshops
How global and local collaboration drives real-world scientific impact
Her nutrition research is making an impact despite challenges in Middle East
2023 Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge – Top 5
Empowering ‘girl bosses’ with data, analytics — and community
Focus on food security: seven talented women scientists from the Global South awarded the 2023 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards
7 women scientists from Global South recognized for food security research
Women-led teams receive unique catalyst grants for climate action
Just 20% of climate change studies ‘written by women’
“Open access is like a window of knowledge”
Open access publishing is indispensable, says award-winning hydrology researcher
Elsevier Foundation invests in early career researchers
Making progress towards a more inclusive research ecosystem
Meet the winners of the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award
Six talented women climate scientists from developing countries awarded the 2022 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award
Rice for face masks and coconuts for building material? Eco-solutions for sustainable development
2021 Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge – Top 5
Partnering for sustainability: a new approach for a new world
Enter the new Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge
News
Challenge winners pioneer eco-friendly sanitary pads and climate resilience in medicinal plants
Winning Chemistry projects tackle waste management and extreme climate conditions with innovative real-world solutions and a focus on gender equity
Five Pioneering Women Scientists from the Global South Honored with the 2025 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Transformative Health Research
