Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Gender Equality


While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. Progress is occurring regarding harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), which has declined by 30% in the past decade, but there is still much work to be done to complete eliminate such practices.

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large. Implementing new legal frameworks regarding female equality in the workplace and the eradication of harmful practices targeted at women is crucial to ending the gender-based discrimination prevalent in many countries around the world.

Name Acronym Founded City HQ Country/Territory HQ Type I Type II

International Association of Liberal Religious Women

IALRW 1910 Basel Switzerland D

International Association of Lyceum Clubs

IALC 1903 C

International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women

IAPESGW 1953 Miami Shores FL USA B v

International Association of Prosecutors

IAP 1995 The Hague Netherlands B y

International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences

IAAS 1957 Leuven Belgium C

International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People

1965 Copenhagen Denmark C

International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services

iAWFES 2007 Madison WI USA N

International Association of Women in Radio and Television

IAWRT 1951 Quezon City Philippines C

International Association of Women Judges

IAWJ 1991 Washington DC USA C

International Association of Women Ministers

IAWM 1919 Reading PA USA C v

International Association of Women Philosophers

1976 Paderborn Germany C v

International Association of Women Police

IAWP 1915 Bowie MD USA F

International Association of Women Runners

IAWR Toronto ON Canada N

International Au Pair Association

IAPA 1994 Munich Germany E

International Aviation Womens Association

IAWA 1988 Mount Royal NJ USA N

International Bar Association

IBA 1947 London UK B

International Bar Association - Public and Professional Interest Division

PPID 2004 London UK E

International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute

IBAHRI 1995 London UK E j

International Black Women's Congress

IBWC 1983 Norfolk VA USA N

International Blue Crescent

IBC 1999 Istanbul Türkiye G

International Blue Cross

IBC 1886 Bern Switzerland C

International Boxing Association

IBA 1946 Lausanne Switzerland B y

International Boys' Schools Coalition

IBSC 1995 Cleveland Heights OH USA C

International Brain Bee

IBB 2018 Washington DC USA C

International Buddhist Relief Organization

IBRO Birmingham UK G

International Bureau for Children's Rights

IBCR 1994 Montréal QC Canada D

International Cartographic Association

ICA 1959 Neuchâtel Switzerland B

International Catholic Conference of Guiding

ICCG 1965 Paris France B

International Catholic Cooperation Centre for UNESCO

CCIC 1947 Paris France E v

International Catholic Migration Commission

ICMC 1951 Geneva Switzerland B y

International Cell Research Organization

ICRO 1962 Pittsburgh PA USA D v

International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination

ICAAD 2012 Chappaqua NY USA G

International Center for Biosaline Agriculture

ICBA 1999 Dubai United Arab Emirates E

International Center for Education and Human Development

1976 Medellin Colombia G

International Center for Peace and Justice

El Cerrito CA USA G

International Center for Professional Development

ICPD Murrieta CA USA G

International Center for Research on Women

ICRW 1976 Washington DC USA G

International Center for Transitional Justice

ICTJ 2001 New York NY USA G

International Centre for Comparative Criminology

ICCC 1969 Montréal QC Canada E

International Centre for Conflict and Human Rights Analysis

ICCHRA Accra Ghana G

International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy

ICCLR 1991 Vancouver BC Canada G

International Centre for Human Development

ICHD 2000 Yerevan Armenia G

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

ICIMOD 1981 Kathmandu Nepal E g

International Centre for Migration, Health and Development

ICMHD 1995 Geneva Switzerland E

International Centre for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations

IMIR 1992 Sofia Bulgaria E

International Centre for Parliamentary Studies

ICPS London UK G

International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights

INCRESE Minna Nigeria G

International Centre for Sustainable Human Development

San José Costa Rica G

International Centre for Trade Union Rights

ICTUR 1987 London UK E t

International Centre for Women and Child

ICWC 1994 Delhi India G

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