Building Fair Societies through SDG 10 (Reducing Inequality)

Author's Biography: 

Iqra Fida is a nursing professional and graduate scholar currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MScN). She completed her Bachelor of Science in Generic Nursing (BSN-G) from Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi. With one and a half years of clinical experience, she has served in the Medical Ward at The Indus Hospital, where she developed foundational skills in patient care and clinical management. Her professional focus is dedicated to advancing nursing through research, evidence-based clinical practices, and the integration of innovative interventions to enhance patient outcomes.

Figure 1 (Illustration depicting the relationship between systemic equity and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Achieving actual social justice usually requires more than simply dealing with everyone equally, which is the conventional definition of equality. A change toward fairness is encouraged by Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), which acknowledges that systemic barriers like gender inequality and economic inequality provide uneven starting places. According to the 2025 Statistics, giving individuals with different needs the same resources does not guarantee justice; instead, it frequently exacerbates preexisting disparities (United Nations Statistics Division).  For society to be really fair, institutional barriers must be removed so that everyone has equal access to opportunities.

The seriousness of this problem is highlighted by current data, especially in Pakistan. As Labor’s proportion of GDP decreases, and economic inequality is widening globally (United Nations Statistics Division, n.d.). According to Media Update: United Nations Pakistan , the wage disparity between men and women in Pakistan is still a starting 25-30% in the official economy and rises to 40% in the private sector, where legal measures are almost nonexistent. Additionally, Pakistan’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Index for Economic participation score of 34.7% indicates budget is allocated to female–centered development (Tariq Ali, 2025). These enduring disparities are caused by “Power, People, and Policy,” in which ruling class groups' access to resources maintains the minority’s exclusion (Pakistan National Human Development Report on Inequality, 2021). This data suggests that Pakistan’s problem with inequality comes from a serious failure in enforcement rather than just a lack of laws. Although labor regulations in regions like Punjab and Sindh have been modified to comply with international norms, those that is most vulnerable

Workers are found in the informal sector, where these rules hardly apply (Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 11 March 2025). A key aspect is highlighted by Tariq Ali's (2025) statement that “parity in suffering is still suffering”: reducing statistical disparities is pointless if the overall quality of life continues to be low. A disparity is established when half of the population’s budgetary allotment falls below 1%. According to scholarly consensus, interventions risk helping the wealthy and widening the gap they were intended to close unless they are properly targeted at the most disadvantaged.

In the end, achieving the 2030 Agenda necessitates a shift from surface-level homogeneity to a systemic restructuring of resource allocation. This calls on Pakistan to prioritize the most marginalized groups, increase gender- equitable budgetary investment, and improve labor law enforcement. SGD 10 success will be determined by how effective our policies are in being really just, not by how “equal” they are.

References:

Media update: United nations pakistan, 11 march 2025 | united nations in pakistan. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://pakistan.un.org/en/290699-media-update-united-nations-pakistan-11-march-2025, https://pakistan.un.org/en/290699-media-update-united-nations-pakistan-11-march-2025

Pakistan National Human Development Report on Inequality. (2021, April 6). Retrieved May 9, 2026, from https://www.undp.org/pakistan/publications/pakistan-national-human-development-report-inequality

Tariq Ali, N. (2025, June 24). Reading Between the Index Lines: What Pakistan’s Budget Reveals About the Gender Gap. https://www.undp.org/pakistan/blog/reading-between-index-lines-what-pakistans-budget-reveals-about-gender-gap

United Nations Statistics Division. (n.d.). — SDG indicators. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2024/Goal-10/

United Nations Statistics Division. (n.d.-b). — SDG indicators. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/