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Circa 300 Years to Full Gender Equality

2023 is the halfway point in the United Nations plans to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals, agreed by 193 countries in September 2015, aim to provide a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The United Nations explains their focus is to “protect the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.” This collaboration is very necessary, the challenges are too significant to be resolved by individual countries on their own.

Goal number 5 strives for gender equality and there is still significant work to do, even though half of the time has passed. A United Nations 2023 Gender Snapshot Report suggested it will be 140 years until there is parity in leadership positions and almost 300 years until there is full gender equality. A very long time to wait and an incredible waste of resources, gifts and capacity in the meantime.

Why is this relevant to a Confidence Coach in Northumberland?

It sets the context in which my clients work. None of us are totally immune to society’s expectations of us as women. When a female leader lacks self confidence, how much of that can be attributed to the environment in which she works, the organisation and team cultures, the conscious and subconscious attitudes and beliefs of her colleagues?

As a coach I can work alongside a female leader, to encourage, challenge and support her to build her confidence. However, sometimes we have to acknowledge that it isn’t actually her personal burden to carry. The organisation and many of the people around her are the ones with the need for change. Even a senior leader in an organisation can only influence so far on her own. Sometimes this realisation results in a career move. A real loss of talent for their organisation.

On 20 September 2023, some of the 28 women around the world who are currently heads of state or government met to discuss accelerating the implementation of SDG 5 and gender equality. They know well how gender, rather than competence or achievement, is what people focus on when there is a woman in post, and how vitriolic the messages through social media can be. The UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs recently reported that an additional investment of USD 360 billion per year would be needed across the globe to complete SDG 5.

Will male dominated governments prioritise this spending and unleash the latent skills and abilities of women around the world for the benefit of all?

Photo by Linkedin Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Sophie Carvin, Confidence Coach, Deror www.deror.co.uk

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