Adenike A. Akinsemolu
The Green Institute

Arijeniwa Foluke Victoria
The Green Institute

Abstract

Fostering gender equality is an important aspect of the development strategy that yearns to enable individuals to minimize their poverty levels and improve their standards of living. One of the crucial sustainable development elements is to handle the natural resource foundation on which anthropogenic activity relies. On the contrary, the socially constructed roles of women and men and deprivation of women because of discrimination, employment discrimination, as well as traditional attitudes are sources of sustainability initiative concerns. The study embraced the review of secondary information and data in looking at the gender issues across and in the sustainable development facets. Investing in women and girls, supporting their needs as home-based consumers, entrepreneurs, producers, workers, and instituting a sustainability framework that challenges the discriminatory social practices and norms will not only spur gender equality but also achieve sustainability. This article is important because it contributes knowledge in sustainable development, gender, and environmental studies. It acknowledges the importance of women for economic growth, good governance, social development, human rights protection, and environmental protection. Recommendations for spearheading gender equality are also provided to enable Africa to navigate the challenges it faces and lead to rapid socio-economic and political development.

Keywords: gender equality, sustainability, empowerment, social development, economic growth, environmental protection.