Art for All: Gender Equality at the Heart of Cultural Policies – UNESCO

Report on Integrating Gender Equality into Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development

Session Overview: From Principles to Practice

A session was conducted to address the implementation of cultural policies that advance gender equality, a critical component for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

• Moderator: Danielle Cliche, Chief of Policy and Research, Division for Gender Equality, UNESCO

Presentation of UNESCO Guide for SDG 5 Implementation

Professor Ana Villarroya Planas, President of the European Association of Cultural Researchers from the University of Barcelona, presented a new UNESCO guide titled Culture for All: A Guide for Integrating Gender Equality into Policy Development.

Core Objectives of the Guide

The guide is designed as a practical framework for stakeholders to align cultural policies with international commitments to human rights and sustainable development. Its primary contributions include:

• Providing step-by-step support for decision-makers at all levels to translate gender equality principles into effective policies.
• Reinforcing the transformative role of culture in achieving the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Highlighting practical approaches to overcome systemic barriers to gender equality within the cultural sector.

Challenges Addressed in Alignment with SDG 5 Targets

The guide directly addresses key challenges that hinder the achievement of SDG 5, offering policy solutions for:

1. The gender pay gap, contributing to SDG Target 5.1 on ending discrimination.
2. The underrepresentation of women in leadership and decision-making roles, in line with SDG Target 5.5.
3. The online harassment of women in cultural and creative industries, relevant to SDG Target 5.b on the use of enabling technology to promote the empowerment of women.

Ministerial Perspective on National Action

H.E. Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Minister of Culture and Media of Croatia, provided a perspective on the practical application of the guide’s recommendations. The commentary focused on how such international frameworks can inspire and inform concrete national actions, thereby accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals on the ground.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  This is the primary goal addressed. The article focuses on a UNESCO guide titled “Culture for All: A Guide for Integrating Gender Equality into Policy Development.” The entire premise is to integrate gender perspectives into cultural policies to combat issues like pay gaps, underrepresentation in leadership, and harassment, which are central to achieving gender equality.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article’s specific mention of addressing “pay gaps” and “women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles” directly connects to the principles of decent work, equal pay for work of equal value, and equal opportunities for economic empowerment, which are key components of SDG 8.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  By aiming to integrate gender equality into policies, the guide seeks to reduce inequalities experienced by women within the cultural sector. The effort to ensure women are not underrepresented in leadership and receive equal pay is a direct action towards reducing outcome inequalities as outlined in SDG 10.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article discusses a guide designed to help “governments, institutions, and cultural actors turn commitments into effective policies.” This relates to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. Furthermore, addressing “online harassment” is a matter of justice and personal security, which falls under the purview of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 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.

  The article explicitly identifies “women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles” as a key challenge the guide aims to address, directly aligning with this target.

• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

  The UNESCO guide is presented as a tool to “help governments, institutions, and cultural actors turn commitments into effective policies.” This is the exact action described in Target 5.c, focusing on policy development for gender equality.

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value.

  The article’s mention of addressing “pay gaps” is a direct reference to the “equal pay for work of equal value” component of this target.

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

  The challenge of “online harassment” mentioned in the article is a form of violence against women in the digital public sphere, making this target relevant.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Proportion of women in leadership/managerial positions in the cultural sector.

  This indicator is implied by the article’s stated goal of addressing “women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles.” Measuring the change in this proportion over time would indicate progress.

• The gender pay gap in the cultural sector.

  This is directly implied by the identification of “pay gaps” as a challenge. Progress would be measured by the reduction or elimination of this gap.

• Number of policies and legal frameworks adopted to integrate gender equality into cultural domains.

  The article describes the guide as a tool to help create “effective policies.” An indicator of its success would be the number of national, regional, or local governments and institutions that use it to develop and implement such policies.

• Prevalence of online harassment against women in the cultural sector.

  This indicator is implied by the need to address “online harassment.” Measuring the incidence or reporting of such harassment would be a way to track progress on this issue.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: unesco.org