This Issues Paper delves into the critical juncture we find ourselves in, seven years after the global consensus reached by 193 United Nations member states on the necessity of building sustainable development on the pillars of equality, inclusiveness, and the universal enjoyment of basic human rights. It emphasizes the indispensable role of closing the gender gap for accelerating development and establishing a foundation for peace in societies, a stance supported by various academic studies. Yet, as we approach the midpoint of the 2030 timeline set for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN’s gender equality agency raises alarms about the significant lag in closing the gender gap.