The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030.
Homeward Bound specifically contributes to Goal #4: Quality Education and Goal #5: Gender Equality.
Homeward Bound’s purpose is to elevate the visibility of women leading with a STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine) background for the greater good. Our focus is on building the leadership capability to act individually and in concert towards a sustainable future for all. We contribute to this goal by building a global network of women who are supported with a common leadership development journey (leadership, visibility, science, strategy and wellness), all owning the principle that we are stronger together, focusing on having an impact at an individual, collaborative and collective level.
A global faculty of experts donate the design and delivery of content, and the coaching of all women involved.
We seek to directly address the inequality evident in women leading globally and contributing to decisions that affect us all.
We believe the shared learning journey and the subsequent networking, with a focus on common good, creates a safe, supportive, visionary community who have the skill and will to act for many of the Global Sustainability Goals, including, but not limited to: sustainability including life below water, life on land, climate action, responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities, affordable and clean energy, clean water and sanitation and good health and wellbeing.
From the United Nations:
“Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
There has been progress over the last decades: More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to advance gender equality.
Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain pervasive, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights. The coronavirus outbreak exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere – from health and the economy, to security and social protection.
Women play a disproportionate role in responding to the virus, including as frontline healthcare workers and carers at home. Women’s unpaid care work has increased significantly as a result of school closures and the increased needs of older people. Women are also harder hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19, as they disproportionately work in insecure labour markets. Nearly 60 percent of women work in the informal economy, which puts them at greater risk of falling into poverty.
The pandemic has also led to a steep increase in violence against women and girls. With lockdown measures in place, many women are trapped at home with their abusers, struggling to access services that are suffering from cuts and restrictions. Emerging data shows that, since the outbreak of the pandemic, violence against women and girls – and particularly domestic violence – has intensified.”
(UN.org. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/)