Today is International Women’s Day, a moment when the world comes together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women everywhere. It’s an opportunity to reflect on our progress – and draw attention to the challenges that still face girls and women around the globe every day.
That’s particularly true this year, as the world gets to work to achieve the new global goals for sustainable development, one of the most comprehensive agendas ever for ensuring girls and women everywhere can both survive and thrive.
Girls and women are at the heart of all the global goals, from ending poverty to growing economies to protecting the planet, which is why empowering them is one of the most effective ways to drive sustainable development. On every issue, helping girls and women build better lives creates a powerful rising tide for a better future for all of us.
Achieving the global goals depends on empowering girls and women.
On International Women’s Day, discussions about sustainable development at the United Nations and around the world focus on women. But if we’re going to make the global goals a reality by 2030, we have to keep girls and women at the center of the conversation long after today is over.
A generation of healthy, educated, safe, and empowered girls and women can transform the future of humanity.