As the world faces climate crises, armed conflicts, and democratic backsliding, it is crucial to focus on the forces that build long-term resilience, peace, and sustainable development. One of the most vital — yet often overlooked — is gender equality.

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Equality is not only about representation or formal rights but about creating real opportunities for women to participate in society on equal terms with men — economically, socially, and politically. It’s about the right to own land, access education, gain financial independence, and live in societies where social systems enable life choices beyond traditional gender roles. For women to contribute to and lead societal development, structures must exist that free up time, resources, and space for action.

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In many parts of the world, gender equality is a direct prerequisite for achieving other development goals. When girls no longer have to walk long distances to fetch water — thanks to a nearby well — they gain the opportunity to attend school. When women access microfinance or secure land ownership, household welfare improves, children's education levels rise, and entire communities become more resilient.

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Despite this, progress on gender equality is under threat from a global backlash, where women’s bodies, voices, and rights once again become battlegrounds for authoritarian forces. This is not an isolated development, but part of a larger, interconnected system of inequality, polarization, and control.

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The way forward requires that we recognize and support the individuals and movements creating systemic change — those who challenge power structures, shift norms, and build societies where equality is not only a goal, but a strategy for sustainable peace, democracy, and planetary resilience.

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The WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award 2026 highlights those who are driving real change for a more gender-equal society.

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Laureates will be announced on the 21 April online and at the Gothenburg Sustainability Summit.