The SDGs and Me!

This blog was written for and first published on 'Chat for Change':

Education played a critical role in getting me involved in the SDGs and prior to that the MDGs. I first heard about the concept of international development in my secondary school Geography class, and we went on to specifically discuss the MDGS. It came up again at university where I took Development Geography modules. Both these times it seemed distant, a big thing decided upon and acted upon by countries and huge NGOs to help people in other countries. Something that I would only be involved in if I worked for government or a development NGO long after I graduated.

It was until I attend the Young Women’s World Forum in 2010 that I realised I was responsible for making these goals happen. As an international event organised by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, there were young women from nearly 100 countries in attendance. We took part in sessions looking at each of the goals and it was a discussion on gender equality that really struck a chord with me. In the UK, I had always seen the goals positioned as this lovely development target to improve other people’s countries, mainly in the Global South. Through the education I gained at this event I saw how others saw the goals as relevant to their own lives, they owned them and worked to make them a reality. So when I heard that the UK doesn’t meet one of the targets – equal representation of women in parliament – I realised that we aren’t a pinnacle of development to aspire towards, we need to develop too and I can help make that happen!

That event inspired me and I wanted to make gender equality a reality. I set up a project in the UK and ran events, exhibitions and created an activity pack all around achieving gender equality. I also was fortunate to be selected for a number of WAGGGS delegations to subsequent United Nations events where I was honoured to be able to advocate for the visions of girls around the world to be recognised in the next international development targets – the SDGs.

For me, I look at the SDGs and see it as a global roadmap that we drew together, a map to a better world, and I feel particular ownership for the areas I, along with hundreds and thousands of others called to be part of it – ending gender based violence, ensuring we can all get an education, ending gender inequalities, working together with civil society all over the world to make it happen! This isn’t a document ONLY decided upon and actioned by those with a lot of resources to hand, it should be owned and guide action by us all, the world over, in our own communities and in partnership with others.