The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) began in 2016 with great hopes that they will promote social development, economic development, and environmentally sustainable development with the motto, “Leave No One Behind” (UN 2016). In particular, SDGs’ goal 5, “Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls” (UN 2016). However, persistently high gender gap was found in many countries around the world whether they are developed or developing. The 2016 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), which examines gender inequality across four key areas of health, education, economy and politics, showed that the gender gap widened in many countries, and the gap in “economic participation and opportunity” showed the largest gender gap compared to health, education and political participation (World Economic Forum 2016). Interestingly, the GGGI do not match the global ranking of countries based on their GDP size, GDP per capita, or even the level of poverty. Thus, in order to deal with the underlying causes of deep-rooted and persistent gender inequality we must develop more culturally nuanced and contextualized approaches in the SDGs to tackle gender inequality (Song & Kim 2013). Gender inequality is simply not acceptable in the world where half of the world’s citizens are not provided with the same rights as the other half. It is also economically less productive to rely on only half of the world’s labor force to help eradicate poverty. Education, employment, and full empowerment of women and girls must be a priority for the SDGs.

South Korea's growth as an outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) player is an example of developing countries becoming major foreign investors. China has become the largest destination for Korean OFDI, which appears to complement Seoul's exports to China.

This study evaluates the effect of an integrated health care educational program on several behavioral changes related to environmental health among Laotian students. Students in the experimental group received education concerning environmental health-related issues, including air pollution and chemical exposure. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and paired t-tests were conducted for the statistical analysis of the pre- and post-survey scores. The post-test scores of the experimental group regarding their risk perception and information-seeking behaviors towards air pollution and chemical exposure were higher than those of the control group after controlling for the pre-test scores. Moreover, in the experimental group, the girls’ risk perception scores significantly increased after receiving the education, which was not observed in the control group. The risk perception score among non-drinking students also significantly increased after the program. These results indicate that the education program effectively enhanced the students’ risk perception, especially that of girls and nondelinquent students.