SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
55/100
global 2019 EM2030 SDG Gender Index score on SDG 9
8%
of women in Morocco have made or received digital payments in 2018
23%
women in STEM research in Germany compared to 54% in FYR Macedonia in 2016
Why SDG 9 matters for gender equality
SDG 9 aims to promote the development of quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure; inclusive and sustainable industrialisation; and innovations in information and communications technologies.
The goal recognises that transforming economies to make them truly inclusive and sustainable depends on the right policies related to infrastructure, industries, and innovations. While the process of development and technological innovation may seem gender neutral, often it is not: for example, medical research has historically been blind to biological sex differences in women’s tolerance, side effects and benefits from drugs and treatments. Evidence shows that gender-blindness in research and innovation can result in products and technologies that cause physical harm to women and girls. And, related to industry and trade, while international competitiveness and technological change are heavily subsidised by women’s low wages, women workers can be exploited or displaced as industries upgrade technologically.
As research, innovation, and new industries increasingly drive the knowledge economy and form the backbone of global economic growth, gender-sensitive policies and concerted investment in women and girls’ education and training are critical.
Issues and Indicators
The 2019 SDG Gender Index examines gender focused issues and data under SDG 9 and provides a more complete picture of both the goal itself and its relationship to gender equality. Explore the included issues and indicators below.
| Indicator 9a | Proportion of women who made or received digital payments in the past year |
| Rationale | Digital technologies can transform women’s lives in a myriad of ways, not only enabling women to earn money, but also to access a full range of financial services, control their own earnings, and, increasingly, use remote delivery of government services like healthcare and civic participation tools. |
| Indicator 9b | Proportion of women who report being satisfied with road quality in the city or area where they live |
| Rationale | Good access to quality and sustainable infrastructure, including roads, is an essential determinant of women’s mobility and ability to access services, and a basic requirement for local and national economies to prosper. |
| Indicator 9c | Proportion of women with access to internet service |
| Rationale | In the digital age, internet literacy has become essential for civic participation and employment in many fields, and information and communications technologies fuel many countries’ economic development. Yet women and girls run the risk of being left behind: in low- and middle-income countries, significant gender gaps exist in internet access and digital literacy. |
| Indicator 9d | Proportion of women in science and technology research positions |
| Rationale | As the world transitions to an economy that is increasingly driven by advanced technologies, closing the global gender gap in science, technology, engineer-ing, and math (STEM) education, research, and work is crucial to empowering women and addressing the shortage of qualified workers in these fields. |