Breaking the cycle: the innovators bringing humankind closer to the Global Goals through gender equality and women’s empowerment

The empowerment of women, who make up half the global population, is crucial to creating a more prosperous future for all, and how we address challenges such as women’s health, education and childcare, is a key focus of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Global Goals Week.

As part of the Expo Live Impact Series, visitors to The Hub at the Expo Live Pavilion, known as The Good Place, will hear from a number Global Innovators and change-makers whose innovative solutions to these issues are already positively impacting their communities and making great strides towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A panel discussion on ‘Innovating and Caring for Women’s Health’ (18 January, 1600 GST) will address cultural taboos about menstruation, forcing many women and girls to miss out on school or meaningful work opportunities, preventing them from enhancing their own and their families’ quality of life. Visitors will hear from Be Girl Inc – a US social enterprise revolutionising menstrual hygiene with reusable products that take cultural practices and available resources into account – and India-based Saathi, which has developed 100 per cent biodegradable and compostable sanitary pads made from banana fibre, an abundantly available agricultural by-product. 
 
‘Helping Women Thrive’ (19 January, 1600 GST) will highlight innovative solutions enabling women to thrive as workers and entrepreneurs. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will offer compelling insights into the health, human rights and social sector, while Peru-based employment agency Nanas and Amas will show how its approach to connecting domestic workers with families has not only reinforced the dignity and rights of these workers but also promoted education. 

The panel also features Bangladesh-based APON Wellbeing, whose innovative scheme for workers in garment factories – the vast majority of whom are women – has improved access to healthcare and basic services. Meanwhile, Kidogo from Kenya will share how it is improving access to high quality, affordable childcare centres for East Africa’s low-income communities, enabling women to start their own childcare businesses and create safe spaces for children, while allowing other mothers to pursue more valuable employment opportunities.  
Audiences can tune in to the Expo Live Impact Series at https://virtualexpodubai.com/ where other engaging Global Goals Week events will also be available to stream. 

Running from 15-22 January, Expo 2020’s Global Goals Week, in association with the United Nations, serves as a platform for world and thought leaders from around the globe to connect and work towards achieving the Global Goals at a critical time of uncertainty in the midst of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Global Goals Week is the seventh of 10 Theme Weeks under Expo 2020’s Programme for People and Planet, offering an exchange of inspiring new perspectives to address the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time.