Challenges of gender equality within the framework of sustainable development

Angélica Ochoa-Díaz; Ana Carolina Sanchez Sanchez

doi:10.64923/ceniiac.e0006

Authors

Angélica Ochoa-Díaz University of Córdoba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9450-2110
Ana Carolina Sanchez Sanchez Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9042-2666

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64923/ceniiac.e0006

Keywords:

sustainable development, gender equality, sustainable development goals, SDGs, women's empowerment, gender discrimination, economic participation, gender-based violence, gender inequalities

Abstract

Gender equality is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet persistent gaps continue to limit women’s participation in multiple domains. This study examines four dimensions of gender inequality: economic participation, political representation, gender-based violence, and the role of scientific production. A mixed-methods design was applied, combining bibliometric and qualitative approaches to analyze 370 open-access documents indexed in Scopus from 2018 to 2023. Findings show that women remain underrepresented in the labor market, concentrated in less productive sectors, and burdened with unpaid work, which undermines economic equity. In politics, only a few countries have achieved parliamentary parity, while global progress remains slow. Gender-based violence persists as one of the most critical challenges, with more than half of femicides occurring in the home, revealing the insecurity of domestic spaces for women. Scientific production on gender equality has grown, yet female authors remain underrepresented, highlighting the persistence of the “glass ceiling”. These results confirm a gap between formal equality recognized in laws and substantive equality experienced in practice. Stronger state commitments, affirmative policies, and inclusive strategies are needed to ensure that gender equality is not only a right but also a driver of sustainable development.

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Author Biographies

Angélica Ochoa-Díaz, University of Córdoba

Doctor of Law with a specialization in Private Law from Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (UCES). Master’s degree in Public Management from Universidad Nacional del Rosario. Specialist in Administrative Litigation Law from Universidad Externado de Colombia. Attorney at Law from Universidad de San Buenaventura, Cartagena–Colombia. Adjunct Professor at Universidad de Córdoba, Montería, Córdoba. Advisor, Litigator, Writer, Legal Scholar, and National and International Speaker. Leader of the Applied Social Sciences and Law Research Group at Universidad del Sinú. Junior Researcher.

Ana Carolina Sanchez Sanchez, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana

Attorney at Law from Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga. Doctoral Candidate in Law at Universidad del Sinú. Master’s degree in International Protection of Human Rights from Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Master’s degree in Constitutional Law from Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales de Madrid, Spain; and Specialist in Constitutional Law from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. Adjunct Professor at Universidad de Córdoba and Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Montería campus, Colombia.

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