Global
In September 2015, 193 world leaders stood in the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York and made a solemn promise towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a blueprint for transforming our world. At its heart sat Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The intention for it was attainment of gender equality not as an afterthought, and not as a social footnote. As a standalone goal, the architects of the agenda understood it to be foundational because without the full, free, and equal participation of half of humanity, none of the other 16 goals can be fully achieved.
Ten years after world leaders pledged to achieve gender equality for all women and girls, the evidence reveals a troubling reality: progress has been real, but far too slow. As 2030 approaches, SDG 5 stands as both a measure of our achievements and a reminder of promises still waiting to be fulfilled. As a Global Youth Ambassador for the SUBLIME SDGs project, I write this not to celebrate incrementalism, but to sound the alarm, interrogate the data, and issue a call to action that matches the urgency of this moment.
By clicking here, you can read Naiga Doreen’s paper, which analyses where we stand on the challenging path towards achieving SDG 5
DOREEN NAIGA
Doreen Naiga is an emerging global health and climate policy expert whose work sits at the intersection of law, public health, and environmental governance. With a strong foundation in legal training and health policy, she has led and contributed to high-impact initiatives shaping climate-resilient health systems across Africa. As a Programme Officer for Climate, Health and Advocacy at Regenerate Africa and the SUBLIME SDGs’ Youth Ambassador under Amref Health in Italia, she has driven policy dialogue and youth engagement advocacy on climate and health, influencing communities and continental platforms alike.
Doreen’s advocacy is anchored in a growing portfolio of continental and international leadership roles. She serves as a member of the European Union Youth Sounding Board of Uganda, where she is the Thematic Lead on Climate Change and Environment, shaping youth input into EU-Uganda policy dialogue. She is also a member of Youth in Action under Amref Health Africa, and served as an African Union Bingwa under the auspices of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, advocating for COVID-19 vaccination uptake across the African continent. As Conference Director of the 2nd Africa Public Health Students’ Summit, she led the drafting of the first-ever youth position paper on climate change and health, a milestone that has since anchored youth advocacy at continental and global forums. Through these platforms, Doreen has consistently amplified the voices of African youth, carrying their priorities from local dialogues to continental and global decision-making spaces.
Beyond policy, Doreen is a committed philanthropist. She serves as the 2026 CoRSU Disability Ambassador under CoRSU Rehabilitation Hospital, championing awareness and support for disability inclusion in Uganda. Doreen has contributed to global discourse through engagements, hence advancing integrated approaches to health equity and climate action. Her policy work emphasises the interconnectedness of global systems, aligning local realities with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement. As a recognised thought leader, she is committed to strengthening evidence-based, inclusive policies that advance sustainable and resilient health systems worldwide.
