Sustainable Development versus Gender Gap – Do Women Matter?

Striving for sustainable development of society and economy is a concept that for decades has been the subject of scientific inquiry. Additionally, the sustainable development concept is based on three main and overlapping pillars (social, economic and environmental). Maintaining balance between them is only way to achieve at least acceptable effects of sustainable development. Analyses in this field have focused on identification of boosters and inhibitors of sustainable development. Taking into consideration this context in our paper, the analyses were devoted to identifying whether a smaller gender gap level (e.g. incentives, political engagement, and education) aligns with higher results in obtaining sustainable development goals. Three hypotheses were formulated that state that mitigating the gender gap supports the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development. Indeed, the results of our study show that in particular, a smaller gender gap related to educational attainment and political empowerment of females is connected positively with higher levels of sustainable development of the three pillars in specific countries. The final conclusion is that diminishment of inequality between females and males supports harmonious and sustainable development of societies in social, economic and environmental dimensions.