Goal 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for equality within and among countries. As we have seen in the rest of the Sustainable Development Goals, all goals are fixed to serve one interest; achieving international peace and security.

“A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much, while so many have so little”
-Bernie Sanders. [1]

What is the tenth Sustainable Development Goal?

Goal 10 seeks to reduce inequality among and within countries; inequality in income and wages, inequalities related to age, gender, disability, race, origin, religion, economic status, or any other status within a country. This goal addresses inequalities among countries including representation, migration, and development assistance-related inequalities. [2]

Despite all international efforts made to save people from poverty and the remarkable progress in this regard, there are still many countries and societies that still suffer from poverty and the difficulty of securing health supplies, quality education, and other elements of development, which means the persistence of inequality on a large scale, thereby confirming the need for this goal.

What are the Targets of the tenth Goal?

This goal includes ten targets, of which:

• By 2030, gradually achieve and sustain income growth for the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
• Ensure equal opportunities and reduce inequality of outcomes, by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and procedures in this regard.
• Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations.
• Ensure enhanced representation and voice of developing countries in decision-making in international economic and financial institutions in order to provide more effective, credible, accountable, and legitimate institutions.
• Facilitate orderly, safe, and responsible migration and mobility of people, by implementing planned and well-managed migration policies. [3]

Also read: Sustainable Development Goal 9.

What Can Be Done to Achieve the tenth Goal?

To reduce inequality, we must first understand its causes and consequences, which can be complex and deeply rooted in social, economic, political, and environmental systems and resources. Therefore, the approach of the European Union is multifaceted. It supports and advocates for actions that:

• Empower women and create opportunities for youth and disadvantaged communities.
• Increase economic inclusion and create decent work and higher income.
• Strengthen social services and ensure access to social protection.
• Facilitate safe migration and movement and tackle irregular migration.
• Promote pro-poor financial policies and develop fair and clear tax systems.
• Encourage local resources and stimulate the development of the public and private sectors. [4]

By taking and achieving these seemingly simple measures, which require a lot of work and years of planning and implementation, equality can be achieved on a large scale in societies. To achieve equality among countries, measures such as securing better education in different countries, providing subsidies, increasing incentives for innovation, and improving trade policies can be taken.

It is worth noting that the world was making remarkable progress towards achieving the tenth Goal, but the Corona pandemic has significantly hindered this. Because of the pandemic, movement and migration were adversely affected through closure measures with great human and economic costs, and the epidemic also caused an economic crisis of great proportions with an Increasing impact on developing countries has put a large number of people in poverty, for the first time in three decades poverty is increasing. The economic consequences are also large and widespread, affecting all areas of the economy, including capital flows, business operations, employment, and jobs. [5]

We still have a lot to recover from the effects of the pandemic, but we hope that this will not stand in the way of achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030, and there are many international efforts to do so.

Also read: Sustainable Development Goal 8.

What is the Relationship Between this Goal and the Rest of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Goal 10 is closely linked with all other Sustainable Development Goals, such as the Eradication of Poverty and Hunger (Goals 1 and 2), Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3), Quality Education (Goal 4), Gender Equality (Goal 5), and Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Resilient Infrastructure and Inclusive Industrialization (SDG 9) as well as more Inclusive Cities (SDG 11)  and Sustainable Ecosystems (SDG 15). [4]
This confirms that all Sustainable Development Goals are aimed at one greater goal;  to secure developed and balanced societies for current and future generations.

We, at Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative, are trying our best not to leave anyone behind and to provide help in all possible ways in an attempt to reduce the various inequalities in our society.
Let’s all try to reduce inequality too by spreading awareness and helping out however we can.

♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.

References:

[1] Bernie Sanders

[2] United Nations- OOSA

[3] SDG Tracker

[4] European Commission

[5] Springer Link