General
Source:The Herald
Africa and the world seem to have learnt from the mistakes of the MDGs, if the approach to the SDGs is an indicator.
While the latter were apparently crafted by a selected few, the SDGs are a result of widespread global and regional and national consultations that began in 2012.
Specific to Africa, the consultations resulted in the Common African Position (CAP) on the post-2015 development agenda involving the public and private sectors, parliamentarians, civil society organisations (CSOs), women and youth associations, and the academia.
The eight MDGs criticised for having been crafted without public consultation aimed to: reduce poverty and hunger; achieve universal education; promote gender equality; reduce child and maternal deaths; combat HIV, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop global partnerships.
Further criticisms of MDGs includes that they failed to take account of structural causes of poverty, gender inequality or the holistic nature of development.
The goals thus did not use a rights-based approach -- they were not crafted based on the human rights and while poverty reduction was a goal, this did not specifically address economic development.
Another position is that while the MDGs, in theory, applied to all countries, in practice, they were oblivious to the needs of poor countries, and therefore could almost be seen as impossible to achieve independent of international development assistance.
Lessons appear to have been learnt that have informed the formulation of the SDGs.
The CAP, for example, reiterates the importance of prioritising structural transformation for inclusive and people-centred development in Africa.
The position recognises the need for "development of adequate policy space and productive capacities, notably through infrastructure development; science, technology development, transfer and innovation; value addition to primary commodities; youth development; and women's empowerment".
The year 2015 has seen continued consultations mainly at the national levels as countries also seek to clarify their positions on the SDGs.
While the goals, at 17, seem far too ambitious as a follow-up to the eight MDGs, there is some consensus that this gives a wider scope for countries to choose priorities from.
Others also note that the SDGs are actually elaborated based on results sought and also strategies to achieve them.
Dr Jesimen Chipika, a development consultant, observes that the varied nature of the SDGs actually begins to outline means and outcome indicators for meeting the 17 goals.
The SDGs transcend poverty; hunger; health; education; gender equality; water and sanitation; energy; economic growth; infrastructure and industrialisation; inequalities within and among nations; cities and human settlements; sustainable consumption and production; climate change; oceans, seas and marine resources; natural resource management; peace building and access to justice and global partnerships for implementation.
While the general belief would be that only the goal on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls is adequate to transform societies, one demand has been that in addition to a goal, there should be gender indicators among the other goals. This is the case with at least 36 indicators across the goals being gender specific. And resources should be allocated to ensure implementation.
A gender analysis of SDG 1, which seeks to end poverty in all its forms everywhere, one of the targets is by 2030, to ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, among other measures. The goal also targets to "create sound policy frameworks, at national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies to support accelerated investments in poverty eradication action".
In seeking to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture, SDG 2 makes the link between productivity of small-scale producers, particularly women and access to land, other productive resources, knowledge, finance, markets and opportunities.
SDG 3 seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and specifically to reduce maternal mortality rate to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030. Universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including family planning, is targeted in the same period.
By 2030, SDG 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, hopes to improve completion ratios by boys and girls at primary and secondary level.
Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls through ending all forms of discrimination, eliminate all forms of violence, eliminate all harmful practices, recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work, full and effective participation in leadership, universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights, access to economic resources and access to ICTs and adoption of a conducive policy environment.
The special needs of women and girls are to be considered in ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all under SDG 6.
It is interesting that SDG6 on access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all does not have a gender specific target.
This flies in the face of research that has shown the gender dimension of energy shortages both in terms of domestic responsibilities and also natural resource management.
SDG 8 seeks to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. One of the targets aims to achieve, by 2030, "full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value".
Goal 9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation. The targets allude to affordable and equitable access for all. It also seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation.
In seeking to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. SDG 11 will pay special attention to the needs of women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.
The need to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts on women, youth, local and marginalised communities will be addressed through capacitating these groups to plan and manage the phenomenon.
SDG 16 to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, seeks to promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.
This includes public education on fundamental freedoms, provision of legal identity and reducing all forms of violence.