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 Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

IFLA 1927 The Hague Netherlands A y

International Federation of Muaythai Associations

IFMA 1993 Bangkok Thailand D

International Federation of Palynological Societies

IFPS 1966 Keyworth UK C y

International Federation of Philosophical Societies

FISP 1948 Milan Italy A y

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

1919 Geneva Switzerland B

International Federation of Training and Development Organizations

IFTDO 1973 Delhi India C y

International Federation of Translators

1953 Paris France B

International Federation of Women in Legal Careers

IFWLC 1929 Maputo Mozambique B

International Federation of Women Lawyers

FIDA 1944 New York NY USA C

International Federation on Ageing

IFA 1973 Toronto ON Canada C y

International Fellowship of Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology

IFEPAG 1997 Buenos Aires Argentina F

International Female Boxers Association

IFBA 1997 Rolling Hills Estates CA USA N

International Fistball Association

IFA 1960 Linz Austria D

International Floorball Federation

IFF 1986 Helsinki Finland D

International Forum

IF Copenhagen Denmark G

International Forum on Sustainable Value Chains

ISVC 2013 Horgen Switzerland F

International Foundation for Fair Trade and Development

IFFAD 2000 Chennai India G f

International Foundation for Minority Empowerment and Global Friendship

Wilmington DE USA N f

International Foundation for Population and Development

IFPD 1999 Geneva Switzerland F f

International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech - Adil Soz

Almaty Kazakhstan G f

International Foundation for the Rule of Law and the Independence of Lawyers and Judges

Rome Italy G f

International Foundation for Women Artists

IFWA 2013 New York NY USA F f

International Francophone Institute

IFI 1994 Hanoi Vietnam E j

International Freedom Alliance

2010 The Hague Netherlands J

International Friendship League

IFL 1926 Ross-on-Wye UK F y

International Fund for Agricultural Development

IFAD Rome Italy F fg

International Gender Champions

IGC 2015 E v

International Glaciological Society

IGS 1936 Cambridge UK C v

International Health Cooperative Organization

IHCO 1996 Barcelona Spain E

International Human Development Project

IHDP Big Sur CA USA G

International Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Society

IHRAS 1999 Ikot Ekpene Nigeria G

International Human Rights Association, India

IHRA Pune India N

International Human Rights Commission

IHRC 2016 Frydek-Mistek Czechia N

International Human Rights Council

Chicago IL USA G

International Human Rights Law Clinic

1990 Washington DC USA G

International Human Rights Observer

IHRO 1961 Islamabad Pakistan G

International Human Rights Protector's Group

IHRPG 2011 Howrah India G

International Humanity Foundation

IHF 1987 San Diego CA USA G f

International Indigenous Women's Forum

IIWF 2000 Lima Peru F

International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO

ICHCAP 2005 Jeonju Korea Rep E g

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

IIASA 1972 Laxenburg Austria D j

International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development

INHURED International 1987 Kathmandu Nepal E j

International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law

IIJ 2014 Valletta Malta F g

International Institute for Justice Excellence

IIJE The Hague Netherlands C

International Institute for Religious Freedom

IIRF 2007 New York NY USA E jv

International Institute for Rights and Development-Geneva

IRD-Geneva Geneva Switzerland J

International Institute for Sustainable Development

IISD 1990 Winnipeg MB Canada F j

International Institute of Administrative Sciences

IIAS 1930 Brussels Belgium B jy

International Institute of Inspiration Economy

IIIE 2015 Hamad Town Bahrain D j

International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women

S c

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