Gender Inequality South of the Sahel: How UN2030 SDG is Progressing through the Use of Libraries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Within the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the fifth goal, “Gender Equality”, can be identified as one of the most universal. Gender inequality is an issue that affects nearly every country in the world, and an obstacle that prevents many an individual from obtaining basic liberties. The structure of this policy brief includes an investigation of four international organizations (the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Pan-African Women’s Organization) and their work within goal five, and a cross analysis of literature revolving around gender inequality around the world. After providing a brief overview of global gender inequality, our paper focuses largely on the region of Sub-Saharan Africa and seeks to illustrate how public and rural libraries are currently being utilized to engage, educate, and empower women and girls within their communities.