Summary
Gender equality is a right and ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the SDGs will lay the foundations for a just and equitable society that works for all. Creating enabling conditions for women to fully participate in the economy and offer their diverse skills and abilities would not only address the constraints rooted in the existence of gendered social structures but also drive the economy to benefit all. Voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have been identified as a potential tool to realize women’s economic empowerment. This paper argues that VSS may provide opportunities to bridge the gender gap through their non-discriminatory clauses, but the key is to realize that transformations go beyond market-based solutions. The authors dissect the potential contributions to which VSS can help empower women through impacts and provide some of the key priority areas where VSS can work for women.