Insights On Gender Equality In SDG From Laudato Si And Catholic Social Essay.

Discussion

Australia has considered the implementation of sustainable development goals focusing on the protection, a healthy environment, access to opportunities and services, and the development of diverse and supportive communities. The 2030 Agenda of SDG in Australia is not only the government initiative in contributing to SDGs, but also involves the business sector, civil society, academia, communities, families, and individuals (sustainabledevelopment.un.org, 2022).  The purpose of the assessment is to focus on the initiatives of gender equality in SDG considering the key aspects of Laudato Si and principles of Catholic Social Thoughts.  Furthermore, it will focus on the community organizations and their activities considering gender equality in SDG aspects. Over the past 30 years, gender equality within the workforce is improving slowly in Australia. It has been identified that misconception about the efficiency of the female individuals and labor market rigidity is the main reason behind the lack of equality in the workforce (Baker et al., 2018).

The Laudato Si principles of Catholic Thoughts focus on the equality of men and women. The highest, most singular service is considered for God's beliefs. Considering the case of SDGs, Australia is focusing on education and health more compared to climate action and reduction of inequality. The gender pay gap within the country is more than 14% (). The women's labor force within the country is undervalued and represented by community services and part-time workers. Along with that, more than 50% of women have faced sexual harassment before the age of 18.

Laudato Si incorporates the themes of solidarity, stewardship, and common goal considering the preservation of human dignity and maintenance of human rights. The concept of development considers the collaboration of human development and conservation of the environment as a whole.         The achievement of gender equality across the globe is a matter of concern while focusing on the SDGs. It further promotes peaceful and inclusive societies across the globe (Gas-Aixendri & Albareda-Tiana, 2019). SDG 5 focuses on the reduction of all the discrimination against girls and women in Australia. Furthermore, the reduction of violence against women is considered within SDG 5 within the country ("Gender Equality | Sustainable Development Goals Australia", 2022). The need for changes within the lifestyle is acknowledged by Pope Francis and focused on humanity and equality within the society as a whole. The issues within humanity, gender inequality, and climate change have been addressed as Laudato Si by Pope Francis. He further focused on the reduction of the consumption of resources to preserve the earth and maintain human dignity in society (www.americamagazine.org, 2022).

SDG5 by the UN focuses on the participation of women within the leadership positions in economic, social and political aspects. Furthermore, women's participation in managerial positions is considered within the SDG5. Reduction of inequality and maintaining the basic human rights of women is a matter of concern considering the Laudato Si. Furthermore, mitigation of inadequacies and poor access to education and health is also considered within the sustainable development goals and the principles of Laudato Si (Summerfield & Regan, 2021).

The implementation of SDG5 in Australia and the role of community organizations

Figure 1: Economic Security based on gender in Australia

(Source: www.abs.gov.au, 2020)

It can be found in figure 1 that the country is not performing well while considering equal opportunity for women. Women are underrepresented and they are signed for some of the particular jobs like community services workers and clerical and administrative workforce.

On the other hand, the International Women's Development Agency focuses on civil and political participation, economic empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods. The implementation of SDG5 considers the monitoring of the progress of women in different fields and the maintenance of equal rights (Yount et al., 2018).

Considering the context of equal rights the implementation of Feminism Legal Theory can be considered. It is a product of three particular factors that evolved in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been identified that the development of this theory brought a new wave of women's participation in academics and assimilation and mitigated the alienation of women from social and legal activities. Considering this notion the feminist approach within the society and legal education stands still portraying the situations of women within the society during that time as well. Challenges and barriers within education and employment are not a new thing for women and sexual harassment in the workplace has become common (West, 2018). Previously the Catholic beliefs focused on the enlightenment and empowerment of women. Following that the beliefs have not been changed but developed in a more structured way.

The transparency within the decision-making process regarding the women's participation in different higher positions is considered through Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The existence of global inequality has been addressed within the CST and mitigation of the same has been considered as well. To implement the same Pope Francis has proposed a line of action considering the transparency in decision-making, reduction in corruption, and harmful impact of crony capitalism within the country (McKenna, 2019).

In Laudato Si, Pope Francis has focused on the harmful effects of rapid technical development considering the sustainability of gender equality. It has been identified that the core ideas of CST are focusing on the social values and understanding considering the transformations within the societal values and approaches. Gender oppression has become common across the globe and the statistics of Australia is indicating a declining state of women within the country.

Women are more vulnerable than men considering the context of non-ideal- universalism approach. Furthermore, in cases of severe poverty imposing gender role eliminativism can cause more harm to women as well (Herr, 2020). Considering this context the promotion of gender equality and maintaining the civil rights of women within the country is considered by the government and the International Women's Development Agency as well.

The SDG5 considers 14 indicators and 9 targets. Due to the lack of a dominant solution equal opportunities in the workplace and gender discrimination cannot be mitigated in several countries. Furthermore, the linkages with different societal issues are another barrier to implementing effective gender equality policies within the SDG5 aspects (Eden & Wagstaff, 2020). Divergence, complexity, and uncertainty are three main aspects while considering the implementation of gender equality in the workplace. Considering the case of Australia, the government of the country has considered different laws and policies regarding the protection of women protection from violence and harassment. Furthermore, the government of the country has considered the implementation of SDG 5 within the women's welfare through the IWDA and focused on the protection of the human rights of women. However, the pay gap and participation of women in the leading position in different fields is still facing a deteriorating rate within the country.

Challenges and barriers towards gender equality in SDG

At the beginning of 2017, the situation within Australia was not so bad in maintaining the rights of the women within the country. However, it was identified that there are several red flags due to which the country is not able to close the unfair wage gap between men and women. The 5.2 target of SDG measures the wage gap and domestic work. T has been identified that the women of the country are facing issues regarding the degrading economic conditions and unpaid domestic activities.

However, the country is focusing on the development of women in different sectors and focusing on the safety and security of women within the country. The Federal Office for Women has launched an online platform to support a national conversation in Australia in implementing SDG5. The focus on the social norms and structures and the implementation of the needed changes are considered by the government of the country. The government of the country is focusing on equal pay and effective participation within the leadership positions in different organizations within the country (Pmc.gov.au, 2022). The strengthening of the policies and effective implementation of legislation regarding women's safety and wellbeing is also considered by the government of the country to maintain the UN SDG5. Furthermore, the reforms within the economic development and women's participation and contribution to the economic development of the country are considered as well.

With the implementation of CST, the government of the country can enhance women's participation in the different fields. The reduction of the inequalities within the country and reservation of equal human rights can be considered as well. Along with that, involvement of the IWDA within the different aspects of women's welfare should be considered for the betterment of the women's workforce within the country.

Conclusion

Through the above discussion it has been identified that, though there are different legislations and policies regarding the women's welfare within Australia, the women are undervalued and underrepresented in every field of the country. The gender pay gap and workplace harassment are some of the major issues faced by women within the country. The economic independence and women's safety and welfare within the country are still suffering. However, the aspects of CSR within women's welfare can help mitigate the issues within women's rights considering the reservation of basic human rights and gender equality. Furthermore, the IWDA policies and enforcement of effective legislation concerning women's rights protection should be considered within the country. The Flexible work arrangements and involvement of women within the interview panels. Furthermore, the management of different organizations should focus on the unconscious bias mitigation training of the employees within an organization to mitigate the gender gap. The implementation of effective legislation and regulations as a whole can reduce gender inequality and can help the country to achieve the UN SDG5.

References

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