Gender Profiles of Local Government Heads and Economic Capacity of Territorial Communities: Evidence from Ukraine

Achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development requires proactive measures at different levels worldwide. In particular, increasing equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5 “Gender equality”) in public governance is a crucial step in boosting economic growth and the sustainable development of communities, regions, and countries. This research investigates the relationship between gender equality in local governance and communities’ economic development. It is based on the correlation and regression analysis of statistical data pertaining to 118 territorial communities (TCs) in Ukraine and depicts the dependence between the gender composition of the local governments and the economic capacity of the territorial communities. These findings may influence comprehensive sustainable development at the community level globally.