SDG 8 - Impacts on Health and Gender
Opinion piece by Karim Kalout, Visiting Contributor
January 14th, 2022
In September 2015, the General Assembly in the United Nations adopted a new perspective known as the “2030 perspective” which ensures sustainable development by protecting the planet, ending poverty, and ensuring prosperity for all. This process was done by setting new goals to achieve in the next 15 years which were known as the “Sustainable Development Goals” or the SDGs. (Sustainable Development Goals, 2021). For each one of these goals, a set of specific targets must be achieved to be able to fulfill the main point behind each goal, and it is important for everyone on this planet to do their part starting with the governments and reaching every citizen. (United Nations, 2021). Most of these goals deal with their major issues and might indirectly impact health and gender positively. One of these 17 SDGs (SDG 8) is concerned with ensuring inclusive decent work as well as sustainable economic growth. (United Nations, 2021). The process of fulfilling the SDG number 8 can impose improvements in both health and gender issues, on which it can enhance physical, mental/psychological as well as environmental health alongside reducing the gap that exist between men and women on all sides including civil rights as well as health.
First of all, the process of achieving the SDG number 8 can diminish the gendered-based gap between men and women as well as improve the physical health for both of them. One of the major targets of this goal is to ensure that decent work through employment is inclusive for both men and women without discrimination, and to secure equal pay between them for the same amount of work. (United Nations, 2021). This increases the participation of women in social decision-making allowing her to occupy a position in the workplace and in the society. (Giddens, 2009). As a result, this SDG plays a major role in reducing the gap that exists between men and women. In addition, the process of ensuring equal access to decent work allows both parents to work and thus increase the household income, which in turn allows all family members to spend more on their health without any exception (such as buying medicines). (Ettner, 1996). It is evident that two-income families obtain more healthcare compared to one-income families. (Scheve, 2021) Furthermore, it is also worth noting that, in general, women managers of household income tend to spend it more on health because according to some studies, women care more about their families compared to men who prioritize themselves first (Nidhi, Chakrabarti, & Grover, 2016), and they spend for health insurance more than men do. (Silverstein & Sayre, 2009). Another target this SDG possess is to ensure safe and secure working environments for all workers including women. (United Nations, 2021). This shows that the SDG number 8 improves health and contributes toward gender equality.
In addition to improving physical health, SDG number 8 implementation is associated with improved psychological/mental health and with the process of women empowerment. People feel good about themselves when they are able to perform decent work, (Brown, Lima, & Rohregger, 2019), and employment is closely correlated to improved living conditions for individuals and households because it relieves the stress of being unemployed, and which in turn have positive consequences on physical health and most importantly on mental and psychological health. (Brown, Lima, & Rohregger, 2019). According to WHO, individuals who are employed tend to have lower risk of developing mental illnesses because being active in a workplace increases self-esteem and social recognition and which allows them to feel safe and secure. (Funk, 2000). Also, it is important to note that even though the individual becomes employed, the work contract type also plays a major role in decreasing mental health problems. According to a study conducted in Italy, employed individuals with temporary contracts tend to have higher risk of developing mental health illnesses. (Mascone, Tosetti, & Vittadini, 2016). Furthermore, the process of shifting from part-time to full-time (permanent) job decreases the risk of acquiring such illnesses (and vice-versa) because individuals are no longer worried about losing their jobs. (Mascone, Tosetti, & Vittadini, 2016). In addition, when the SDG 8 offers women a decent work that is equal to that of men, it contributes towards the process of women’s economic empowerment. According to UN women, women’s economic empowerment requires transformative changes that includes equal participation and payment for women as well as improved, safe, and secure conditions that protect them against sexual harassment. (Photo essay: Changing world, changing work, 2017). All of these changes are targets in the SDG 8 to be acheived, and this shows its importance in the contribution towards gender equality.
It is important to note that the SDG number 8 aims indirectly at improving environmental health. One of the main targets of this goal, as mentioned previously, is to ensure sustainable economic growth. (United Nations, 2021). Economic growth allows the international community generally, and the governments specifically to focus more on improving the environment making it more sustainable. Countries with higher income would be able to spend more on using renewable energy sources (that are much more expensive than non-renewable sources on the short-term) (Energy Cost Comparison, n.d), and thus making the environmental resources more sustainable as well as decreasing pollution that results from non-renewable energy sources such as oil and fossil fuels. According to Dr. Robert McCormick, lower greenhouse gas emissions are closely associated with higher GDP of countries. (Anderson, 2004). Also, it is important to note that using renewable energy sources can have a positive feedback on the GDP, on which it promotes economic growth on the long-term. (Sahlian, Popa, & Cre¸tu, 2021). As a result, decreasing the level of pollution resulting from the achievement of the higher economic growth target of the SDG 8 protects the environment and its creatures as well as our ecosystem, and decreases the risk of acquiring diseases by humans and by all other living things.
As a conclusion, the process of achieving the SDG 8 is essential because it improves both health and gender, on which it can amend physical, mental/psychological as well as environmental health, and at the same time reduce the gap that exists between men and women and contribute towards gender equality. It is also worth noting that discussing the improvements that result from achieving the SDG 8 as well as the other 16 SDGs, especially on health, is important because this would accelerate the process of implementing them to protect the planet, end poverty, and provide a sustainable life for the current population and for future generations. Furthermore, it gives scientists an insight of where we are in terms of global health, what changes to amend, and what to expect in future.
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