A Gender-Sensitivity Approach to Attaining Sustainable Development: A Jurisprudential Perspective

Abstract

Women are key agents of sustainable economic development. Yet, they are often faced with denial of certain basic property rights which could have enabled them to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development. Sufficient attention has not been paid to the contribution of women in development. Any attempt to achieve sustainable development without addressing the imposition of inequality and discrimination on girls and woman is like trying to do the impossible.  Legal instruments pay insufficient attention to the role of women and gender in the promotion of sustainable development.  The exclusion of legal rules in promoting sustainable development makes the realization of economic goals difficult, considering the complex role women and gender play in the promotion of sustainable development. Mainstreaming is the primary methodology for integrating a gender approach into any development effort. This work therefore focuses on how to attain sustainable development by tackling the problem of inequality.  The paper examined the evolution of gender in some legal documents adopted at key conferences and also explores the incorporation of gender in Nigeria's development agenda with a view to ensuring the mainstreaming of women into every activity in Nigeria.