Out of the glass box: Why gender equality needs to be a core value

Recently, the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society put out a manifesto – a call for action to the G7 governments, ahead of their (now just-concluded) meeting in Quebec. It asked the G7 to take seven key steps for women’s empowerment and gender equality, such as leading by example in the public sector by using gender budgeting and placing women in decision-making roles; ensuring equal access to advanced technological education for equal outcomes for women; and drawing on women’s leadership where possible.

Other groups, such as the Gender Equality Advisory Council set up under Canada’s G7 presidency, also made their recommendations. By the end of the G7 summit on June 9, Canada and other governments had already raised CAD3.8 billion (US $2.9 billion) for girls’ education and women’s skills training in the world’s poorest regions. That’s a step in the right direction, because education for girls empowers them and enables to contribute in more ways to their families, communities and societies.  

But too often, women’s equality and empowerment is viewed as its own, standalone goal, something to be undertaken as part of corporate responsibility, siloed under diversity and inclusion, or worse, as a ‘women’s issue’. If the only ones in the room talking about gender equality are women, we’ve failed.

Too often, women’s equality and empowerment is viewed as its own, standalone goal, siloed under diversity and inclusion, or worse, as a ‘women’s issue’. If the only ones in the room talking about gender equality are women, we've failed.

Even the fact that gender equality is listed as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) by itself is a red herring. Equality helps make the other social and economic SDGs achievable, much as biophysical limits such as ocean health and climate support all the other SDGs in the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s tiered ‘wedding cake’ model.

The value of gender equality

Still need convincing that gender equality is a core value and not an add-on? Here’s how enabling and empowering women makes for a wealthier, stronger, more just future.

To begin with, achieving gender equality could add $12-28 trillion and 240 million jobs to the global economy by 2025, by McKinsey estimates. Meanwhile, economists have calculated that productivity would rise 5.4% if household labour was divided irrespective of gender; a heavily female-skewed distribution of housework is a ‘misallocation of talent’, they said. Moreover, startups founded by women generate more revenue – even on less funding.

What about a safer, more secure society? Research finds that countries with higher levels of gender equality also have a healthier domestic security environment, lower levels of aggression toward other states, and are more likely to be in a relative state of peace. (It’s not magic – rather, democratic systems may make more room for women’s participation and other forms of inclusion; or gender equality may enable broader citizen participation to better drive democratic processes). In international negotiations, too, when women participate in the peace process, it increases by 20% the likelihood of peace lasting more than two years.

In less measurable terms, but still as vital, women’s participation is essential to inclusive research and innovation. Gender-diverse teams produce better research, while women’s participation in the creation and development of technology could potentially ward off biases creeping into the algorithms that invisibly govern aspects of people’s lives.

Dare to listen

So how do we get to equal? It’s simple: we can start by daring to listen to women.

Women are often seen as the beneficiaries of gender equality action. But they’re also people with varied experiences, diverse ideas and the agency and ability to lead. All too often, women’s views, expert insights, and leadership go under-utilised, due to structural failings that perpetuate themselves. That means that we need to deliberately make an effort to seek out women’s participation, views and leadership in everything from conference panels to peace and security negotiations and top corporate positions.

We need to deliberately make an effort to seek out women’s participation, views and leadership in everything from conference panels to peace and security negotiations and top corporate postions.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of bridging humanity - our theme for the Women's Global meeting in Paris - it’s just as vital to engage with men in ongoing conversations on gender equality, via initiatives such as HeForShe; here are some other ideas. When gender equality has benefits for all, we must ensure that everyone – men and women, across geographies, cultures and generations – is fully engaged in the cause.

This article is part of a LinkedIn series for the Women's Forum for Economy and Society. Visit our website and join the conversation by sharing this post using #askwomen #daretolisten and #bridginghumanity.