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TY - JOUR AU - Sharma, Uma AU - Bhandari, Medani PY - 2025 DA - 2025/12/08 TI - Intersecting Inequities: Gender Inequality and Ethical Dimensions of Sustainability JO - Journal of Environmentalism, Transformation, and Climate Change T2 - Journal of Environmentalism, Transformation, and Climate Change JF - Journal of Environmentalism, Transformation, and Climate Change VL - 1 IS - 1 SP - 5 EP - 16 DO - 10.62762/JETCC.2025.133581 UR - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JETCC.2025.133581 KW - gender inequality KW - sustainability ethics KW - intersectionality KW - social justice KW - equity and inclusion KW - environmental justice KW - sustainable development KW - feminist perspectives AB - This paper critically explores the urgent intersection between gender inequality and the ethical challenges surrounding sustainability, emphasizing the need for an inclusive approach to global sustainable development. While sustainability aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations, ethical oversight often neglects the systemic and structural gender disparities embedded in socio-economic and environmental systems. The paper begins by examining the historical and structural roots of gender inequality, analyzing how patriarchal norms and socio-political exclusion have systematically marginalized women and gender-diverse individuals from decision-making, land ownership, education, and access to technology. These disparities have profound implications for sustainability, particularly in areas such as resource management, climate adaptation, food security, and energy justice, where women are disproportionately affected yet remain underrepresented in leadership. The second section elaborates on the ethical principles of sustainability—intergenerational justice, equity, environmental integrity, and participatory governance—through a gendered lens. It critiques the failure of many sustainability initiatives and policies to incorporate gender justice as a core ethical imperative. The paper argues that addressing gender inequality is not only a moral responsibility but also a practical necessity for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By ensuring that all voices are heard and all needs are met, gender-inclusive sustainability frameworks can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions. Drawing on case studies from different regions, the third section highlights both the challenges and transformative possibilities when gender perspectives are integrated into sustainability strategies. The final section offers a framework for ethical and inclusive sustainability that recognizes diverse knowledge systems, prioritizes gender-responsive governance, and ensures equitable participation in decision-making processes. It also emphasizes the crucial role that women and gender-diverse individuals play in sustainability transitions, underscoring the need for their inclusion in all aspects of sustainability planning and implementation. This paper calls for a paradigm shift toward an intersectional, ethical sustainability model—one that centers justice, inclusion, and dignity for all genders as foundational pillars for a resilient and equitable future, offering transformative potential. SN - request pending PB - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge LA - English ER -
@article{Sharma2025Intersecti,
author = {Uma Sharma and Medani Bhandari},
title = {Intersecting Inequities: Gender Inequality and Ethical Dimensions of Sustainability},
journal = {Journal of Environmentalism, Transformation, and Climate Change},
year = {2025},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {5-16},
doi = {10.62762/JETCC.2025.133581},
url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JETCC.2025.133581},
abstract = {This paper critically explores the urgent intersection between gender inequality and the ethical challenges surrounding sustainability, emphasizing the need for an inclusive approach to global sustainable development. While sustainability aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations, ethical oversight often neglects the systemic and structural gender disparities embedded in socio-economic and environmental systems. The paper begins by examining the historical and structural roots of gender inequality, analyzing how patriarchal norms and socio-political exclusion have systematically marginalized women and gender-diverse individuals from decision-making, land ownership, education, and access to technology. These disparities have profound implications for sustainability, particularly in areas such as resource management, climate adaptation, food security, and energy justice, where women are disproportionately affected yet remain underrepresented in leadership. The second section elaborates on the ethical principles of sustainability—intergenerational justice, equity, environmental integrity, and participatory governance—through a gendered lens. It critiques the failure of many sustainability initiatives and policies to incorporate gender justice as a core ethical imperative. The paper argues that addressing gender inequality is not only a moral responsibility but also a practical necessity for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By ensuring that all voices are heard and all needs are met, gender-inclusive sustainability frameworks can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions. Drawing on case studies from different regions, the third section highlights both the challenges and transformative possibilities when gender perspectives are integrated into sustainability strategies. The final section offers a framework for ethical and inclusive sustainability that recognizes diverse knowledge systems, prioritizes gender-responsive governance, and ensures equitable participation in decision-making processes. It also emphasizes the crucial role that women and gender-diverse individuals play in sustainability transitions, underscoring the need for their inclusion in all aspects of sustainability planning and implementation. This paper calls for a paradigm shift toward an intersectional, ethical sustainability model—one that centers justice, inclusion, and dignity for all genders as foundational pillars for a resilient and equitable future, offering transformative potential.},
keywords = {gender inequality, sustainability ethics, intersectionality, social justice, equity and inclusion, environmental justice, sustainable development, feminist perspectives},
issn = {request pending},
publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}
Copyright © 2025 by the Author(s). Published by Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. 
Journal of Environmentalism, Transformation, and Climate Change
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