Erasure or empowerment? In Africa’s Sahel, women confront a stark choice – UN News

 

Report on the Escalating Crisis for Women and Girls in the Sahel and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A report to the Security Council highlights a severe and systemic crisis impacting women and girls across the Sahel region. A convergence of political instability, environmental collapse, terrorism, and a declining international presence is disproportionately affecting their lives and futures. This situation presents a significant threat to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning gender equality, education, health, and peace.

Convergence of Crises and Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The challenges in the Sahel are interconnected, creating a compounding negative effect on the population, with women and girls bearing the most severe consequences. The crisis directly undermines progress on several key SDGs.

Erosion of Gender Equality (SDG 5)

The fundamental rights of women and girls are being systematically stripped away, representing a profound regression for SDG 5 (Gender Equality). In nations such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad, life under extremist control has led to the erasure of women from public life.

• Restricted Freedoms: Women’s movement, visibility, and attire are heavily controlled.
• Exclusion from Public Life: The political and civic space for women is narrowing dramatically. In Niger, only 14% of participants in recent institutional reforms were women. In Mali, the figure was just two out of 36 members drafting the new national charter.
• Gender-Based Violence: Abduction is utilized as a deliberate tactic of terrorism. In Burkina Faso, the number of abducted women and girls more than doubled over the past 18 months.
• Harmful Practices: Rates of child marriage are among the highest globally, and in Mali, 90% of women and girls are affected by female genital mutilation.

Collapse of Education and Health Systems (SDG 4 & SDG 3)

The crisis has crippled essential services, leading to dire outcomes for SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

1. Education Deprivation: The burning and closure of schools have left over one million girls without access to education, jeopardizing their futures and reinforcing cycles of poverty.
2. Health Crisis: Maternal mortality rates are among the world’s worst, driven by early pregnancy and poverty. This indicates a severe failure to meet the targets of SDG 3.

Escalating Insecurity and Institutional Failure (SDG 16)

A deteriorating security environment undermines SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Waves of jihadist attacks and political turbulence are fueling mass displacement and eroding governance.

• Shrinking civic space for media, civil society, and women’s organizations threatens hard-won democratic gains.
• The region’s economy remains highly vulnerable, with rising debt constraining governments’ capacity to provide essential services and maintain stability.

Environmental Degradation and Resource Scarcity (SDG 6, SDG 13, SDG 1 & SDG 2)

Climate change exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, directly impacting SDGs related to climate, water, poverty, and hunger.

• Climate Impact (SDG 13): Extreme heat and drought are increasing mortality and food insecurity.
• Resource Scarcity (SDG 6, SDG 1, SDG 2): Women and girls must travel increasingly long and dangerous distances for water and firewood, with two-thirds reporting feeling unsafe during these journeys.

Waning International Support and its Consequences (SDG 17)

Despite mounting needs, a decline in international partnership and funding threatens all progress, directly challenging the spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Funding Shortfall: By May, only 8% of the year’s humanitarian appeal for the region had been met.
• Development Aid Reduction: Development assistance has fallen by nearly 20% over the last two years.
• Program Suspension: The lack of funds has forced the suspension of critical women’s protection and empowerment programs and the defunding or closure of government ministries focused on gender equality.

Fragile Progress and Path Forward

Notable Achievements in Advancing SDGs

Despite the bleak outlook, targeted interventions have demonstrated that progress is possible.

• Political Participation (SDG 5): In Chad, women now hold 34% of parliamentary seats.
• Peacebuilding (SDG 16): In conflict-prone border zones in Mali and Niger, women’s participation in local peacebuilding rose from 5% to 25%, helping resolve over 100 resource-related disputes.
• Education and Health (SDG 4 & SDG 3): Joint UN programming increased adolescent girls’ return to school by 23%. A UN-World Bank initiative has provided over three million adolescent girls with health care, safe spaces, and life-skills training.

Conclusion and Recommendation

These fragile gains underscore the potential impact of sustained and targeted support. The international community is urged not to abandon the Sahel. It is imperative to stand with the women of the region, recognizing their power to shape a more sustainable and peaceful future and to ensure the viability of the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article’s central theme is the severe and systemic risks faced by women and girls in the Sahel. It explicitly mentions issues like abductions, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and exclusion from public life, which are direct violations of gender equality. Sima Bahous states, “In the Sahel, where the world’s gravest concerns converge, women and girls bear the brunt.”

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article highlights the exclusion of girls from education as a major crisis. It notes that “Schools have been burned or shut down, leaving more than one million girls without access to education.” This directly relates to the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The text discusses the impact of political instability, terrorism, and shrinking civic space on the population, particularly women. It mentions that “abduction is not a by-product of terrorism in the Sahel – it is a tactic” and that the deteriorating security environment is “undermining governance and peacebuilding efforts,” which are core concerns of SDG 16.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article points to severe health crises, stating that “Maternal mortality – driven by early pregnancy and poverty – is among the world’s worst.” It also mentions a positive initiative where a UN-World Bank program “has reached over three million adolescent girls with health care,” connecting directly to health-related goals.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article links environmental issues to the humanitarian crisis, stating, “Climate change only deepens the hardship, with extreme heat and drought increasing both mortality and food insecurity across the region.” This connects the challenges faced by women to the broader impacts of climate change.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article addresses the decline in international cooperation and funding. It states that “international support is waning” and that “Development assistance has fallen nearly 20 per cent over the past two years,” highlighting a failure in the global partnership needed to address these crises.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls. The article details this with the statement, “In Burkina Faso alone, the number of women and girls abducted has more than doubled over the past 18 months.”
2. Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. This is directly identified when the article reports, “In Mali, 90 percent of women and girls are affected by female genital mutilation. Rates of child marriage in parts of the region are among the highest in the world.”
3. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. The article points to a lack of participation, noting, “In Niger, only 14 percent of participants in recent institutional reforms were women.” It also shows progress towards this target: “In Chad, women now hold 34 percent of parliamentary seats.”

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. The article highlights the failure to meet this target by stating that extremists’ actions have left “more than one million girls without access to education.”
2. Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education. The focus on girls being excluded from school and the mention of a program that “has increased adolescent girls’ return to school by 23 percent” directly relate to this target.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The article explicitly mentions this issue: “Maternal mortality – driven by early pregnancy and poverty – is among the world’s worst.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The discussion of “increasing terrorism,” “abduction,” and a “deteriorating security environment” marked by “waves of jihadist attacks” directly pertains to this target.
2. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article points to this by highlighting low female participation in political processes (“In Mali, just two out of 36 members drafting the new national charter were women”) and progress in peacebuilding (“women’s participation in local peacebuilding rose from five percent to 25 percent”).

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

1. Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. The article implies a failure to meet this target by stating, “Only eight per cent of this year’s humanitarian appeal for the region had been met by May” and “Development assistance has fallen nearly 20 per cent over the past two years.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Target 5.2 (End violence against women)

• Indicator: Number of women and girls abducted. The article provides a specific data point: “the number of women and girls abducted has more than doubled over the past 18 months.”

For Target 5.3 (End harmful practices)

• Indicator: Prevalence of female genital mutilation. The article states, “In Mali, 90 percent of women and girls are affected by female genital mutilation.”
• Indicator: Prevalence of child marriage. This is implied when the article notes that “Rates of child marriage in parts of the region are among the highest in the world.”

For Target 5.5 (Ensure women’s participation)

• Indicator: Proportion of women in national parliaments and local government. The article provides several figures: “In Chad, women now hold 34 percent of parliamentary seats,” and “In Niger, only 14 percent of participants in recent institutional reforms were women.”

For Target 4.1/4.5 (Access to education/gender parity)

• Indicator: Number of out-of-school children (by gender). The article mentions “more than one million girls without access to education.”
• Indicator: Percentage increase in school enrollment/return. A specific program’s success is measured: “joint UN programming has increased adolescent girls’ return to school by 23 percent.”

For Target 3.1 (Reduce maternal mortality)

• Indicator: Maternal mortality ratio. While no specific number is given, the article implies this is a key metric by stating that maternal mortality in the region “is among the world’s worst.”

For Target 16.7 (Inclusive decision-making)

• Indicator: Proportion of women in peacebuilding processes. The article provides a clear metric of progress: “women’s participation in local peacebuilding rose from five percent to 25 percent.”

For Target 17.2 (Development assistance)

• Indicator: Percentage of humanitarian appeal funded. The article states, “Only eight per cent of this year’s humanitarian appeal for the region had been met by May.”
• Indicator: Net official development assistance as a proportion of GNI. This is implied by the statement that “Development assistance has fallen nearly 20 per cent over the past two years.”

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices. 5.5: Ensure women’s full participation in leadership.	– Number of women and girls abducted (doubled in 18 months). – Percentage of women affected by FGM (90% in Mali). – Rates of child marriage (among highest in the world). – Proportion of women in parliament (34% in Chad).
SDG 4: Quality Education	4.1: Ensure all girls and boys complete primary/secondary education. 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education.	– Number of girls out of school (over 1 million). – Percentage increase in girls’ return to school (23% increase from a UN program).
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence. 16.7: Ensure inclusive and participatory decision-making.	– Level of terrorism and abduction (abduction is a “tactic”). – Women’s participation in peacebuilding (rose from 5% to 25%). – Women’s participation in drafting national charters (2 of 36 in Mali).
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio.	– Maternal mortality rate (among the world’s worst).
SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards.	– Impact of extreme heat and drought (increasing mortality and food insecurity).
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.2: Implement official development assistance commitments.	– Percentage of humanitarian appeal funded (only 8%). – Percentage change in development assistance (fallen nearly 20%).

Source: news.un.org