scholarly journals Social Work Grand Challenges and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: Linking Social Work and Women’s Health

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Annalise John ◽  
Elizabeth Gamarra ◽  
Melissa Bird ◽  
Rachel L. Wright ◽  
Caren J. Frost

The health of women is a crucial component to family and community wellbeing. However, social work scholars have not been very engaged in research pertaining to the health needs of women. With the Grand Challenges of Social Work becoming a major element for national discussion and with the revision of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) in 2015, we wondered how connected the 12 Grand Challenges and the 17 SDGs were. We searched the social work literature from 2005 to present to identify what salient publications were available about women’s health and then connected them to the current themes of the Grand Challenges and SDGs. There are no more articles to review in the social work literature. Using a feminist social work framework, we summarize the topics covered in these articles and define a call to action for more scholarly work on women’s health in the context of current national and global conversations about this social justice issue.

Author(s):  
Suhad Daher-Nashif ◽  
Hiba Bawadi

Background: In 2014, United Nations member states proposed a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) to help further the millennium development goals that they had proposed in New York in 2000. Of these 13 SDGs, Goal 3 (i.e., SDG 3) was titled “Good Health and Well-Being.” This goal highlighted women’s health and well-being via two key objectives. The first, SDG 3.1, aimed to reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) and the second, SDG 3.7, aimed to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health care services. Drawing on all the latest reports, which have been released by Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC), this paper sheds light on GCC states’ work on women’s wellbeing through SDG 3. Aim: the paper aims to review GCC states’ work on women’s wellbeing in SDG3, which achievements they obtained, which tools they used and which gaps still exist. The paper aims to explain the socio-cultural background behind these achievements, tools, and gaps. Methodology: For the purpose of this study, we used narrative review approach through which we reviewed reports from 2017 and 2018 on SDGs published online by the Ministry of Development and Planning of each GCC state, and latest reports of the WHO on the same states. Findings: the study found similarities and differences between different GCC states, which in turn reveals gaps and areas that are not meeting women’s needs. The findings show that MMR in GCC countries has declined by nearly half. The main strategies they adopted to address SDG 3.1 included awareness campaigns, improving access to healthcare systems and training professionals. The tools used to meet SDG 3.7 included training health professionals and raising awareness of consanguinity. The study reveals several gaps, such as a lack of discussion around challenges and barriers, and a lack of linkage between an SDG and the targets contained within it. Conclusion: The paper concludes that there is a much greater emphasis on reducing MMR, compared to providing access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. This difference is due to different socio-cultural framing of each of these two issues.


Author(s):  
Emmison Muleya

The main thrust of this article concerns the potential for the social work profession to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which overlap with developmental social work, specifically with respect to poverty and inequalities in South Africa. Although developmental social work practice may attempt to tackle the structural causes of poverty and inequality, relatively few studies appear to have been conducted to evaluate the contribution of this approach to attaining SDGs. The article draws from contemporary available literature and documents and the author’s observations pertaining to developmental social work and the role which it can play in attaining SDGs in the context of present-day South Africa. The review revealed the potential for developmental social work to make a meaningful contribution to attaining SDGs and the factors which could continue to hinder developmental social work practice, thereby making it difficult for SDGs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-373
Author(s):  
Canan Örüklü ◽  
Sultan Çakmak

The present study is aim to evaluate the health situation of girls and women within the framework of the main sustainable development goals affecting health status and to specify the factors affecting them. Goals of sustainable development aim to bring individuals to peace, tranquility and prosperity within a sustainable planet. There are three aspects of sustainable development such as economic, social and environmental. Achieving one of the sustainable development goals makes it easier to reach another. The biological characteristics and social roles of women make them an important player that will provide a sustainable world. Although the sustainable development goals have made significant improvements in the quality of life of girls and women from the beginning, the world is still far behind the targets. As women affect their environment, they are heavily influenced by social determinants such as human rights, gender equality, justice and culture. The goals of “ending poverty”, “healthy and quality life”, “qualified education” and “gender equality” are the main targets affecting women's health. Poverty causes consequences such as hunger, unhealthy environmental conditions, inability to access health services, delay in cancer diagnosis, diseases and death in women. High education level, receiving prenatal care, benefiting from sexual and reproductive health services reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. Participation of women in working life has a positive effect which is not only economically but also spiritually. Women are an indispensable factor of sustainable development. Health and Care needs of women who are neglected in every period of their lives should be determined with a lifelong approach, and it should be taken into consideration that they are more affected by biological and social factors in the responses to these needs. Healthy, educated and empowered women will appear as employees, mothers, caregivers, volunteers and leaders who influence the structure of society and advance sustainable development. ​Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file.   Özet   Bu çalışmada, sağlık durumunu etkileyen başlıca sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri çerçevesinde kız çocuklarının ve kadınların sağlığını değerlendirmek ve etkileyen faktörleri belirlemeyi amaçlamıştır. Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri, bireyleri barış, huzur ve refaha ulaştırmayı ve sürdürülebilir bir gezegeni amaçlar. Sürdürülebilir kalkınmanın ekonomik, sosyal ve çevresel olmak üzere üç boyutu vardır. Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedeflerinden birine ulaşmak bir diğerine ulaşmayı kolaylaştırmaktadır. Kadınların sahip oldukları biyolojik özellikler ve sosyal roller, onları sürdürülebilir bir dünyayı sağlayacak önemli bir güç haline getirmektedir. Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefleri başlangıçtan bu yana kız çocuklarının ve kadınların yaşam kalitesinde önemli iyileşmeler sağlasa da dünya halen hedeflerin çok gerisindedir. Kadınlar çevrelerini etkiledikleri gibi insan hakları, cinsiyet eşitliği, adalet ve kültür gibi sosyal belirleyicilerden yoğun olarak etkilenirler. Yoksulluğa son, sağlık ve kaliteli yaşam,  nitelikli eğitim ve toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği hedefleri, kadın sağlığını etkileyen başlıca hedeflerdir.  Yoksulluk kadınlarda açlık, sağlıksız çevre koşulları, sağlık hizmetlerine ulaşamama, kanser tanısında gecikme, hastalık ve ölüm gibi sonuçlara neden olmaktadır. Yüksek eğitim düzeyi, doğum öncesi bakım alma, cinsel sağlık ve üreme sağlığı hizmetlerinden faydalanma anne ve bebek mortalite oranlarını azaltmaktadır. Kadınların çalışma hayatına katılımı sadece ekonomik olarak değil ruhsal yönden de olumlu bir etkiye sahiptir. Kadınlar, sürdürülebilir kalkınmanın vazgeçilmez bir unsurudur. Yaşamlarının her döneminde ihmal edilen kadınların, yaşam boyu sürecek bir yaklaşımla sağlık ve bakım ihtiyaçları belirlenmeli ve bu ihtiyaçlara verilen yanıtlarda biyolojik ve sosyal faktörlerden daha fazla etkilendikleri göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır. Sağlıklı, eğitimli ve güçlendirilmiş kadınlar, toplum yapısını etkileyen ve sürdürülebilir kalkınmayı ilerletecek çalışanlar, anneler, bakım verenler, gönüllüler ve liderler olarak karşımıza çıkacaktır.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 445
Author(s):  
Yuanbo Li

China is a fascinating market in terms of alcohol consumption. Although drinking bars originated in the West, economic and societal developments have spread the concept throughout China. In 2017, there were approximately 59,600 drinking bars in China, with a 44.06 billion RMB market size. Given societal development, the Chinese bar industry has gradually paid attention to environmental protection and sustainable development. A sustainable bar adopts a management model that reduces and recycles waste and saves energy. The social responsibility of bars is reflected in sustainable consumption. The concept of sustainable bars has been well-received worldwide. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) provides direction on sustainable development to relevant stakeholders. The 2030 Agenda contains 17 interactive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the SDG12. Thus, it is important to explore the development of Chinese sustainable bars under the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Hence, the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals (TUSDG) of Tsinghua University, Pernod Ricard China, and Kantar China organized one tripartite research group and conducted investigations on drinking bars from three megacities (Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing) to explore the situation, recognition, perspectives, and actions of sustainable bars in China. The results have significant implications. Moreover, the three parties jointly released the “Sustainable Bar Operation Initiatives” and the “Operational Sustainable Bar Application Guidelines” for the bar industry in China.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Aygar ◽  
B Isıktekin Atalay ◽  
S Akbulut Zencirci ◽  
A Unsal ◽  
D Arslantas

Abstract Background “Gender equality’’ is the fifth of the Sustainable Development Goals put forward in order to ensure the development in all areas. Medical faculty students, who will be a doctor, should practice with a gender equality perspective and shape their views and attitudes with equality in mind which will have an important part in the adoption of equality by society. The aim of the study was to evaluate the perception of social gender roles in medical students. Methods This cross - sectional study was performed with all students in Eskisehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic characteristics and Gender of Perception Scale(PCS) to measure perception of social gender roles. The scores that can be taken from the scale are ranged from 25 to 125, and high scores indicate that perception of gender is positive and equality. Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis were used in univariate analysis; multivariate linear regression was used in multivariate analysis. Results The study group consisted of 1023 (84.3%) students in the study group, 52.8% were females and their ages ranged from 17 to 30 and the mean was 21.36 ± 2.06. The PCS scores ranged from 32 to 125 and the mean was 108.07±16.58. Multivariate linear regression analyzes were performed to determine the factors associated with the PCS. According to the results of last model sex, living with grandparents until the age of 18, region of the majority of life and parental attitudes were found to be related to perception of social gender roles (F = 29.602, R2=0.170, p < 0.001). Conclusions The perception of gender of medical students was found to be positive. Sex and the characteristics of the social environment were related to perception of gender. In order to raise awareness on gender equality, it might be useful to ensure integration in the medical education curriculum. Key messages Factors that can be changed, such as the social characteristics of the living environment, were found to be related to perception of social gender roles. Ensuring gender equality, one of the Sustainable Development Goals, is important for medical students who will be a role model for society.


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