HOME ECONOMICS AND THE ACTUALIZATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS VISION 2030

Abstract

The historical misconception of Home Economics as a female-gender dominated field of academic inquiry is changing. A paradigm shift since the proclamation by International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) on the 21st of March 1982 in declaring a World Home Economics Day (WHED) allowed Home Economics to be positioned since the 2000's as a strategic academic and professional practical tool to help address issues in family, nations and society at large. This paper begins by understanding the concept of sustainable development by mapping out the global policy focus on international development in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era (2000-2015) and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era (2015-2030). By doing so, this paper thematically groups the SDGs under four (4) themes (empowerment, health and wellbeing, sustainable environment and partnerships for development) by anchoring these 4 themes on education and 3 philosophical pillars of Home Economics which include (Food and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles and, Home Management). This paper therefore conceptualizes Home Economics as: Empowerment through Education; Health and Wellbeing through Nutrition Education; Environmental Sustainability through Clothing and Textiles and; Partnerships for Development through Home Management.