Gender equality is not only a human right; it’s imperative for achieving sustainable development. Growing evidence shows the link between gender equality and enhanced environmental outcomes. Closing the gender gaps in accessing resources and participating in decision-making processes could help spur economic growth while achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Despite this, few environmental policies and projects account for gender-related issues, preventing women from engaging in natural resource management and decision-making. This disparity not only impacts the lives and livelihoods of individual women — it makes it harder to achieve global goals on hunger, poverty and more.

WRI works to to make gender equity a standard practice in environment and sustainable development initiatives. We work with programs and centers across the institute to ensure our environmental projects are inclusive of social issues like gender.

Our work includes:

  • Ensuring that public transport systems take women’s safety concerns into account through our work with WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.
  • Spreading fundamental democratic principles throughout the world by integrating gender into our Center for Equitable Development
  • Promoting gender equality throughout the development community by ensuring gender balance in public events, guided by a set of recommendations for our staff and others.

Image credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan (IWMI)