Recommendations on Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equality

The recommendations on women’s human rights and gender equality presented here have been compiled from two civil society consultations conducted by UN-NGLS in 2013: a teleconferencebased consultation that resulted in the report Advancing Regional Recommendations on the Post- 2015 Agenda, and an online consultation on four post-2015 reports to the Secretary-General. A list of organizations that participated in these consultations is available here. This policy brief also draws on the December 2013-January 2014 online consultation orchestrated by the Addressing Inequalities Networked Alliance (AINA) and co-moderated by UN-NGLS on the issues brief “Promoting Equality, including Social Equity” produced by the UN inter-agency Technical Support Team for the OWG on SDGs. While presenting a wide range of views, this brief does not intend to represent the complete breadth of perspectives and recommendations emerging from civil society on the issues of women’s human rights and gender equality for the post-2015 development agenda.

Civil society networks advocated for a universal, interlinked, multi-sectoral, and holistic approach to the SDGs that upholds the achievement of women’s human rights and gender equality as central to the achievement of sustainable development. Contributors issued a resounding call for both a standalone goal on gender equality and women’s human rights and the “mainstreaming” of gender equality and women’s human rights through comprehensive targets and indicators in the SDGs. Recognizing that women from socially excluded communities face multiple forms of discrimination, the SDGs must include a strong focus on the achievement of equity and social justice.