“Gender equality – it’s something we deal with every day!” 
How profoundly this statement from the artists’ studio Die Schlumper applies became increasingly clear the more we explored the context of SDG 5. It addresses equality among real, perceived, and ascribed gender identities. The Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility of the United Nations University summarized it succinctly as follows:

“Gender is a category of identity that can dignify every single person. Achieving gender equality by 2030 requires us all, regardless of sex and/or gender, to rethink ways we imagine and enact gender every day”.

This applies to all of us, every day.

Equality also means protection from poverty and violence, equal access to education, healthcare, resources, and work, as well as participation and self-determination.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 is therefore an integral part of all other goals. Sustainable development cannot exist without gender equality. This becomes evident, for example, when looking at SDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” worldwide, water supply in 80% of households without running water is ensured by women and girls. Another example is SDG 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth.” Among employees aged 25 to 54, only 63% are women worldwide, compared to 94% men. Furthermore, in labor-intensive industries, competitiveness often relies on gender-based wage disparities.

The report “DEN VERSPRECHEN TATEN FOLGEN LASSEN” (available in German only) by UN Women on “Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” illustrates these interconnections. Published in November 2018, the report provides numerous statistics, facts, and background information on SDG 5. Highly recommended reading!

Gender equality requires dialogue. The mural provides an invitation to engage in this dialogue, particularly in the context of SDG 5.

The targets to be achieved by 2030 include:

• Ending discrimination against women and girls everywhere
• Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls to exercise self-determination
• Eliminating violence against women and girls
• Ending child and forced marriage as well as female genital mutilation
• Ensuring equal opportunities for women in leadership roles
• Guaranteeing access to sexual and reproductive health for all

Equality – Some Initiatives in Hamburg

Kampnagel

In March 2019, the international cultural center Kampnagel in Hamburg hosted a focus on Gender Mainstreaming. “Gender equality concerns everyone,” said dramaturge Ute Lamberts to the Hamburger Abendblatt. In an interview with Vera Fengler, she explains why the topic is important to her:

“The term gender mainstreaming has been a fixed concept for gender equality policy since the UN World Conference on Women in 1995, originally referring only to equality between men and women. Often people say this is no longer an issue today. But that’s not true. Especially in light of the ongoing right-wing shifts happening in the USA, in many South American and European countries, and also in Germany, we must be careful that not everything that has been achieved is rolled back.”
The full interview can be read here (available in German only).

Filia Foundation

Issues such as climate change, demographic shifts, and refugee movements always have specific impacts on women and girls. filia.die frauenstiftung responds strategically and concretely to these changes by setting priorities in its support programs. More about the foundation’s work can be found here.

Hamburg State Women’s Council (Landesfrauenrat Hamburg)

The Hamburg State Women’s Council (available in German only) advocates for equality between women and men. Its goals include:

• Gender Mainstreaming as a strategy in Hamburg politics across all areas: All decisions should be reviewed to assess whether they adversely affect one gender.
• Gender Budgeting for the Senate budget: All investments and expenditures should consider gender equality. Public funds should only be allocated to companies that employ women and men equally.
• Gender in leadership positions in politics and business: The proportion of women in public bodies should be increased to 50%.
• Gender to change role models: Work and family life must be compatible. Full-day childcare options are needed. Schools and daycare centers should launch initiatives to challenge entrenched gender roles.
• Gender in Hamburg: A gender equality report should be produced on the living conditions of women in Hamburg and the implementation of the gender equality framework program.

Verikom gGmbH

Verikom focuses on counseling, education, and protection against violence, opposing all forms of racism, sexism, and discrimination. Its staff advocate for the legal, social, and political equality of people from other countries of origin and for the protection of individuals affected by familial or domestic violence. Through its programs, Verikom aims to dismantle discriminatory structures and violence, provide counseling and training, and promote the participation of girls and women at all levels of society.