Green Key is a leading standard of excellence in the field of sustainable tourism, guiding tourism establishments to do their part in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. In our new feature series we will present each of the 17 SDGs and explain their connection to Green Key.
In 2015, the UN member states adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide governments, the private sector and civil society in transforming our world into safer, fairer and more livable place.
On this page, you will learn more about Goal 5: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls".
What is Goal 5 about?
According to the UN, "Gender inequality persists worldwide, depriving women and girls of their basic rights and opportunities. Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will require more vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter deeply rooted gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms."
Although women make up the majority of the workforce in tourism in most parts of the world, they are mainly employed in low-paid jobs and in those with a lower status, such as housekeeping. Furthermore, many women are engaged in unpaid work for family businesses, which excludes them from formal employment and the possibility to develop a professional career.
How does Green Key help to achieve Goal 5?
In 2016, Green Key expanded its criteria with a new section called "Corporate Social Responsibility" to make sure that the programme does not only consider the environmental dimension of sustainability, but also its social aspects. With the new 2022-2025 criteria, this criteria section has been strengthened to ask establishments a more active commitment on issues such as gender equity (SDG target 5.1) and women’s economic rights (SDG target 5.a):
GENDER EQUITY - Criterion 11.5 explicitly encourages certified establishments to be equitable in hiring women, including in management positions. In the UN’s own words: “regardless of where you live, gender equality is a fundamental human right”, and so are equal access to employment and fair economic treatment. At Green Key, we believe that by actively including and empowering women and minorities in the operations of an establishment, deeper workplace diversity can be achieved, thus developing healthier and more enriching relationships in the working environment;
COMPLIANCE WITH LABOUR REGULATION - Furthermore, it is imperative for all Green Key certified establishments, e.g. as part of their sustainability policy, to ensure that their employees receive fair treatment without discrimination in compliance with local, national, and international regulations on labour, thereby making an effort to remove workplace obstacles that are related to gender identity (criterion 11.1).
In summary, by granting previously excluded groups an opportunity to grow and thrive, each company can bring their own contribution towards the growth of their communities, and previously untapped potential can finally be unlocked and bring society one step closer to the common goal that is environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
A document describing Green Key’s overall contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals can be downloaded here.
