The United Nations addresses this persisting inequality with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, Gender Equality – a fundamental human right that has gotten worse, not better, since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through impactful business events, diverse leadership, and initiatives by partner cities worldwide, BestCities Global Alliance is committed to promoting gender equality and, by extension, building a healthier, happier, and more progressive society.
Table of Contents
The consequences of gender inequality
Globally, approximately 2.4 billion women of working age don’t get the same economic opportunities as men. In fact, 178 countries maintain legal barriers preventing women’s full economic participation. And progress is moving slowly – according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, we are still 300 years away from gender equality.
Gender equality is a human right, but there are many additional reasons people need to amplify their efforts to close the gap. Women who are not empowered economically can become trapped in a cycle of poverty, or in abusive relationships. Gender inequality can harm women’s self-esteem and mental wellbeing and discourage them from pursuing leadership roles. Many women shoulder a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities, leading to chronic stress, burnout and exhaustion.
Gender equality is also better for business. Studies have shown that achieving full gender equality in the workforce could add USD $28 trillion to the global annual GDP by 2025. Increasing women’s participation in the workforce could also alleviate labour shortages and stimulate a sluggish economy.
Equal opportunities by BestCities Global Alliance partner cities
Business events can serve as a powerful platform to reduce gender inequality by elevating women’s voices and promoting inclusion. As a global alliance of 13 cities dedicated to creating positive impact through business events, BestCities Global Alliance is a longstanding advocate for SDG goal 5 gender equality. At the organization’s head office, for example, four out of six staff members are women. At the Strategic Board of Directors level, nine out of 13 members are women.
BestCities Global Alliance partner destinations are equally committed to championing gender diversity. In Melbourne, Australia, gender equality is embedded in the events industry. Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) partners with many suppliers offering the option of all-women teams to deliver everything from exhibition builds to audiovisual technology, to film production.
One example is the annual BestCities Global Forum, which was hosted in Melbourne in January 2024. MCB hired Said & Done Media, an all-women film production crew that has worked with clients like Air Canada, FIFA World Cup, and Amazon, to capture and edit event interviews and highlights.
It went so well that MCB hired the crew again for the 2024 Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Event (AIME). The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre similarly offers the option of a technology crew comprised exclusively of women for business events – a significant advancement with women currently representing just six percent of the global audiovisual industry.
In Madrid, Spain, the 2024 Ecoacoustics Congress, which was held in July 2024, consciously aimed for gender equality with the knowledge that imbalanced power dynamics persist in research institutions, universities and other scientific areas.
The congress maintained equality among keynote speakers (two women and two men) as well as a high representation of women in the organizing and advisory committees. Congress organizers also encouraged attendees to report cases of inequality before, during and after this and any other congress, and pledged immediate action for reported cases.
Advocating for equality through Incredible Impacts
BestCities’ annual Incredible Impacts Award is also a proponent of gender equality. In 2023, the winner of the $20,000 USD grant was the ACWW Women’s Empowerment Summit, which was held in Khovd, Mongolia. Among many inspiring achievements, the summit empowered over 300 women survivors of domestic violence from nomadic communities, providing them with direct support, helping them form income-generating groups, and facilitating a men’s group to engage local men in the prevention of gender-based violence.
Click here to read the case study.
The 2021 Incredible Impacts winner was Women Deliver, whose conference was held in Vancouver, Canada. A global advocate for gender equality, Women Deliver’s 2019 event was the largest in the organization’s history, attended by 8,000 people from 169 countries with a further 200,000 joining remotely. Major commitments made during the conference included a $1.4 billion annual investment from the Canadian government towards gender equality, as well as a global commitment to end female genital mutilation by 2030.
Click here to read the case study.
Achieving equality, together
BestCities Global Alliance proudly leverages its worldwide platform to support gender equality through its leadership, initiatives by partner cities, and global events. Business event leaders, stakeholders and event planners can similarly adopt gender-inclusive practices that empower women and contribute to SDG Goal 5.
With every business and person doing their part to end inequalities, together we can build a world for future generations where every person, regardless of their gender, is treated equally, fairly and respectfully.
Related Posts:
Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)