5. GENDER EQUALITY

GENDER EQUALITY

Ensuring equality of treatment and opportunities for all has been considered an essential contributor to fostering sustainable development. SDG #5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Numerous challenges remain globally regarding this goal, e.g., ensuring equal access to education for women and girls, eradicating child marriage. Although gender equality indicators have recorded increases in past two decades, including a rise in the number of girls in school and women on the labour market, there remains a big gap to be closed to achieve the goal.13

The RTRS Standard contributes to achieving SDG #5 as it seeks to ensure that female employees receive equal renumeration for their work and are presented with equal opportunities, and that they are not subject to violence or intimidation.

SDG TARGETS AND RELATED RTRS INDICATORS

SDG Targets

5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

RTRS Indicators

RTRS: 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.5.7, 2.5.8

RTRS Principle 2 on responsible labour conditions seeks to assure that no discrimination takes place in the workplaces (2.1.7) and that all workers should receive equal remuneration (2.1.7), as well as security of employment for workers returning from maternity leave (2.5.7). Moreover, both men and women are entitled to payment of national or sector established minimum wage (2.5.8).

RTRS: 2.1.9

Employees are required to be free from any kind of intimidation.

RTRS: 2.1.7

The Standard requires that all workers should receive equal opportunities for promotion and filling available positions.

SDG 5: Case study

Title: As signatory of the United Nations Declaration to promote gender equality, RTRS has adjusted its Standard for Responsible Soy Production version 4 to include gender equality terminology in line with SDG Goal 5

Organisation: RTRS, UN

Location: Global

Case: In 2019, RTRS signed the United Nations Declaration on Integrating a Gender Perspective in Technical Standards and Regulations, and within its Development Process. This important declaration acknowledges Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls. In line with the Declaration, version 4 of the RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production published in 2021 intends to adjust the standard to gender equality terminology in line with the SDG Goal 5.