Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in Africa: Progress, challenges, opportunities and key priority actions to accelerate implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), more than being a stand-alone goal, holds the key to the realization of all the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization of an African where no one is left behind. In Africa SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2020, which provides an assessment of the continent’s progress (including its commitment to leave no one behind), it is noted that “African governments have made significant efforts to endorse SDGs and incorporate them into national strategies and development plans. Most Governments in Africa have invested in strengthening or creating independent national institutions for the protection and promotion of women's rights in addition to reviewing national laws, policies and practices in accordance with international human rights law.