Since the Earth Summit twenty years ago, the international community has made historic achievements in advancing human development, including gender equality. But the world continues to face considerable social, economic and environmental challenges, and progress continues to be threatened by persisting gender inequalities.

This publication, Powerful Synergies: Gender Equality, Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability, is a collection of evidence-based papers by scholars and practitioners that explore the interconnections between gender equality and sustainable development across a range of sectors and global development issues such as energy, health, education, food security, climate change, human rights, consumption and production patterns, and urbanization. The publication provides evidence from various sectors and regions on how women’s equal access and control over resources not only improves the lives of individuals, families and nations, but also helps ensure the sustainability of the environment.

The papers in this publication make detailed recommendations for policy makers and practitioners to ensure that policies and programmes effectively integrate gender equality and that women participate fully and meaningfully. By acting on these recommendations and working collectively across sectors, we will not only drive forward towards the future we want, but we will provide the foundations for present and future generations of women and men, and boys and girls, to thrive.