Women and Gender Issues

This publication presents statistics and analysis on the status of women and men in the world, highlighting the current situation and changes over time. The report is the sixth in the series which has been published every five years, as called for in the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. This edition emphasizes that progress towards the goal of gender equality has been made in the last two decades in most areas of concern, although uneven and at low pace. Through a life cycle approach, the publication reveals the challenges and opportunities faced by women during their different stages of life and based on where they reside. The different trajectories of women and men are highlighted in the statistical findings of the analysis undertaken in eight chapters of the report, each representing a broad area of concern: population and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment and poverty.

This publication provides an overview of children’s diverse roles in helping to prevent, address, and report violence, as well as of effective actions taken, including peer support. It offers insight into how children contribute to and are an active part of solutions to building back better and accelerating fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Further demonstrating children’s capacity to be agents of positive change, the publication showcases their collaboration with adults and decision makers. It also addresses the many challenges organizations and children have faced in times of COVID-19, including those posed by digital channels when taking participation forward, reaching those hardest to reach, and facilitating regular communication with children whose lives have been disrupted. Finally, based on findings from the varied experiences analyzed, this report provides key recommendations to support children’s participation and civic engagement.

Official records of the Report of the Commission on the Status of Women on the sixty-eighth session (17 March 2023 and 11–22 March and 27 March 2024). The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. During its annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters in New York to discuss progress and commit to further action. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Commission’s parent body, for follow-up.

More than 11 million people have been displaced amid the conflict in Sudan as of October 2024, with more than half (54 per cent) being women and girls. An estimated 12 million people are currently at risk of gender-based violence, as described in this new Gender Alert by UN Women. Documented cases of mass and systemic rape highlight the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, leaving survivors in dire need of medical, psychological, and social support. Since December 2023, the number of survivors of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, seeking services increased by 288 per cent, illustrating the scope of the crisis. Evidence shows that women and girls from ethnic minority groups are being deliberately targeted.

El libro Endeudarse para cuidar: género y desigualdad en la Argentina aborda un tema relevante y todavía poco explorado en la región: los crecientes procesos de endeudamiento de las mujeres y su articulación con la organización social del cuidado. El análisis, que se basa en el concepto de la gestión monetaria de los cuidados y en información innovadora, explora las condiciones concurrentes de desigualdad en la organización del cuidado y la creciente vulnerabilidad financiera de las mujeres. Asimismo, se ponen en evidencia una serie de padecimientos y efectos subjetivos de las deudas del cuidado que pesan sobre mujeres y feminidades trans. El texto es un aporte que se alinea con una preocupación central de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL): el contexto de creciente desigualdad en la región y las dinámicas que lo explican. Centrarse, en particular, en la cuestión de la gestión monetaria de los cuidados contribuye, además, a ampliar y complejizar la agenda de los cuidados y a cuestionar las narrativas en relación con la financierización y la inclusión financiera. Al visibilizar la conexión estrecha entre la sobrecarga de los cuidados y la vulnerabilidad financiera de las mujeres, este estudio establece los puentes entre agendas de políticas públicas y señala caminos de coordinación entre ellas.

Ésta es la edición más reciente de la serie anual que producen ONU Mujeres y el Departamento de Asuntos Económicos y Sociales de las Naciones Unidas. En el informe se ponen de relieve los últimos datos sobre las tendencias y brechas en materia de igualdad de género en relación con los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) y se constata que el mundo sigue sin cumplir sus obligaciones con las mujeres y niñas. Sin embargo, se observan algunos aspectos alentadores, como la disminución de la pobreza, la reducción de las brechas de género en la educación y la presión por la adopción de reformas jurídicas positivas. No obstante, a seis años de la fecha límite de 2030 para el cumplimiento de los ODS, todavía no se ha alcanzado por completo ninguno de los indicadores del ODS relativo a la igualdad de género. Poner fin a la pobreza extrema en las mujeres podría tomar 137 años adicionales al ritmo actual. Ningún país dispone de todas las leyes necesarias para prohibir la discriminación, prevenir la violencia de género, defender la igualdad de derechos en el matrimonio y el divorcio, garantizar la igualdad salarial y proporcionar el pleno acceso a la salud sexual y reproductiva. La paridad de género en los parlamentos podría no alcanzarse hasta 2063. En el informe se subraya el alto costo que supone no invertir en los derechos de las mujeres y se destacan las soluciones de eficacia demostrada que benefician a las mujeres, las niñas y la sociedad en su conjunto. Asimismo, se aboga por una acción radical que transforme la trayectoria actual y acelere de forma drástica el progreso en la igualdad de género y los derechos de las mujeres.

Ce résumé souligne les conclusions du rapport du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies sur l’examen et l’évaluation de la Déclaration et du Programme d’action de Beijing, le bilan le plus complet qui soit de l’égalité des sexes et des droits des femmes disponible à l’échelle mondiale. En 2025, le monde célèbre 30 années de réalisations du programme, un plan visionnaire adopté en 1995 par 189 États pour assurer l’égalité des droits de TOUTES les femmes et de TOUTES les filles. Cet examen reflète les évaluations mondiales, régionales et nationales de 159 pays, et fait la synthèse des progrès réalisés et des priorités d’action. Il montre que de nombreux pays ont fait d’importantes avancées en matière d’égalité des sexes et d’autonomisation des femmes, de l’interdiction de la discrimination au travail à l’adoption de plans climatiques tenant compte de la dimension de genre. L’innovation accélère les progrès, et les possibilités de mettre à l’échelle les stratégies éprouvées se multiplient. Pourtant, la discrimination basée sur le genre demeure profondément enracinée dans les économies et les sociétés, imposant des contraintes persistantes sur les droits et les espoirs des femmes et des filles. La participation extensive à l’examen reflète la pertinence constante et l’importance critique du Programme d’action de Beijing, y compris pour atteindre les objectifs de développement durable. ONU-Femmes s’est associée à différents partenaires pour concevoir le Programme d’action Beijing+30 à partir des conclusions de l’examen. Celui-ci entraîne un effet d’union autour de la volonté d’honorer les promesses du programme et des objectifs mondiaux et renforce le rôle que chacun doit endosser.

The World’s Women 1970-1990: Trends and Statistics is a unique compilation of the latest data documenting progress for women worldwide in six areas: health, human rights and political decision-making, and families. The Report attempts to answer the urgent but complex question of the progress the world’s women are making in their lives. The Report stresses that new data is needed on issues unique to women - such as violence against women and maternal health.

The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics is a unique compilation of the latest data documenting progress for women worldwide in six areas: health, human rights and political decision-making, and families. The Report attempts to answer the urgent but complex question of the progress the world’s women are making in their lives. The Report stresses that new data is needed on issues unique to women - such as violence against women and maternal health. The World’s Women 2000 is the third in a series of reports that has broken new ground and the data in the present publication is intended to provide a ’snapshot’ of some of the more salient statistical findings since 1995, while also drawing recent changes and long-term trends. This revealing book remains the most complete description to-date of women’s conditions and contributions worldwide.

Esta Guía establece en detalle el contenido de una ley integral contra la discriminación. Proporciona a los legisladores y defensores las herramientas para desarrollar legislación contra la discriminación consistente con los estándares legales internacionales sobre los derechos a la igualdad y la no discriminación. Su objetivo es ayudar a los Estados a cumplir sus obligaciones fundamentales del derecho internacional de respetar, proteger y hacer realidad los derechos a la igualdad y la no discriminación. Esta Guía también incluye ejemplos prácticos para ayudar a los legisladores y formuladores de políticas. También proporciona orientación específica sobre el vínculo entre la ley contra la discriminación, por un lado, y los derechos de las minorías, por el otro.

The overlapping impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating climate disasters and geopolitical conflict are a threat to gender equality and women’s rights across the globe. This report from UN Women and UNDP shows what governments can do now to prevent further rollbacks and recover lost ground, while enhancing resilience and preparedness for future shocks.Drawing on a unique global dataset of close to 5,000 measures adopted by 226 countries and territories in response to COVID-19, the report finds that overall, government responses paid insufficient attention to gender dynamics. At the same time, instances of innovation and learning hold important lessons for gender-responsive policymaking in times of crisis.

A key driver for progress is Sustainable Development Goal target 5.5 on promoting and strengthening equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. Women leaders are making an impact across Asia Pacific. Women’s presence in local, state and national levels of government has influenced higher female voter turnout, increased gender sensitive policies and a stronger focus on improving social, health and safety services. In business, evidence is emerging to show that a higher proportion of women managers is significantly associated with an increase in profit. Nevertheless, leadership also remains out of reach for too many women across Asia and the Pacific. The representation of women in the region’s parliaments illustrates the disparities which can be found across all areas of society. In 2018, the average representation of women in Asia and the Pacific, at 18 per cent, lagging behind the global average of 24 per cent. ESCAP, under the auspices of the UN Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, prepared a report on critical enablers for women’s leadership with a focus on its transformative impact on the societies. The report “Pathways to Influence: Promoting the Role of Women’s Transformative Leadership to Achieve the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific” highlights four key pathways to women’s transformative leadership, including growing consciousness and capabilities; accessing resources and opportunities; shaping and leveraging formal policies, laws and rules; transforming social norms and exclusionary practices. The report draws on research and data, as well as the journeys of 17 women leaders from 14 countries across the region to identify key factors that have enabled women leaders to inspire change in their diverse areas, ranging from business, agriculture, peace, technology, urban development and local governance to the rights of women, workers, minorities and persons with disabilities.

Advancing equal opportunities for women in defence is of paramount importance for keeping, building, and sustaining peace. Representation and diversity allow Member States to leverage broadened skillsets and improves operational effectiveness as well as community trust. The need for diverse perspective and skills in the defence sector is more critical than ever. Through security sector reform, governments can work towards the full, equal, safe and meaningful participation of women in security and defence institutions. Security Council resolutions emphasize the importance of women’s participation in national security sectors and calls on Member States to implement reforms that address and remove legal and institutional barriers to women’s participation in the security and defence sectors. Additionally, this year world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future, which underscored that women’s equal participation is crucial to achieving and sustaining peace, security and development. To take stock of the status of women in defence the United Nations developed the first-ever United Nations Report on Equal Opportunity for Women in the Defence Sector, further to the recommendation of Secretary-General Guterres in his latest Report on strengthening security sector reform. This report puts forward a set of recommendations – based on Member States’ legislation, policies and practices – on measures countries could consider adopting to enhance the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in defence.

This report highlights progress in improving nutrition for girls and women in South Asia through 19 case studies from 8 countries. Part 1 focuses on delivering essential nutrition actions for adolescent girls: (1) fortified nutritious meals; (2) micronutrient supplementation and deworming; (3) nutrition and lifestyle education; (4) advertising, product labelling and taxation policies that reduce consumption of unhealthy foods; (5) nutrition screening and social safety net services for those at risk. Nine examples demonstrate how countries have implemented these actions. Part 2 focuses on delivering essential nutrition actions for women before, during, and after pregnancy: (1) fortified nutritious foods; (2) micronutrient supplementation; (3) nutrition information, education and counselling; (4) safeguards against infections; (5) weight monitoring, nutrition risk screening and services for those at risk. Ten case studies show how these interventions are delivered across South Asia.

Cette publication est le dernier volet de la série annuelle produite conjointement par ONU Femmes et le DESA. Elle fournit une analyse exhaustive des progrès réalisés sur le plan de l’égalité entre les sexes dans le cadre des 17 objectifs de développement durable (ODD). Le rapport met en évidence les dernières données et preuves relatives aux tendances et lacunes en matière d’égalité entre les sexes. Il constate que le monde ne respecte toujours pas ses engagements à l’égard des femmes et des filles. Il existe toutefois quelques lueurs d’espoir, comme le recul de la pauvreté, la réduction des écarts entre les genres en matière d’éducation et l’impulsion donnée en faveur de réformes juridiques positives. Pourtant, six ans avant la date butoir de 2030 fixée pour la réalisation des ODD, aucun indicateur de l’objectif consacré à l’égalité des sexes n’a encore été pleinement atteint. Au rythme actuel, l’éradication de l’extrême pauvreté chez les femmes pourrait prendre encore 137 ans. Aucun pays n’a adopté toutes les lois nécessaires pour interdire la discrimination, prévenir la violence basée sur le genre, défendre l’égalité des droits dans le mariage et le divorce, garantir l’égalité salariale et fournir un accès complet à la santé sexuelle et reproductive. La parité entre les genres au parlement risque de ne pas être atteinte avant 2063. Ce rapport insiste sur le coût élevé de l’absence d’investissements dans les droits des femmes, et attire l’attention sur les solutions éprouvées qui bénéficient aux femmes, aux filles et aux sociétés tout entières. Il défend la prise de mesures radicales pour modifier la trajectoire actuelle et accélérer considérablement les progrès en matière d’égalité entre les sexes et de droits des femmes.

En esta Década de Acción de las Naciones Unidas por la Igualdad de Género, hemos afirmado que es hora de pasar de la teoría a la acción y de trabajar mancomunadamente para impulsar un cambio duradero. Para cosechar verdaderos frutos, es necesario que las distintas partes interesadas se sienten a la mesa provistos de compromisos, recursos y acciones. Mediante el Foro Generación Igualdad que se llevó a cabo en México y Francia en 2021, las y los líderes del mundo y otros aliados prometieron poner fin a las desigualdades de género y financiar e implementar leyes, políticas y programas encaminados a cumplir las acciones prioritarias y las metas fijadas en el Plan de Aceleración Global para la Igualdad de Género. En conjunto, los aliados comprometidos y los signatarios de las Coaliciones para la Acción y del Pacto para las Mujeres, la Paz y la Seguridad, y la Acción Humanitaria han forjado un ambicioso movimiento global que agrupa a distintas partes interesadas comprometidas con la rendición de cuentas colectiva ante las mujeres y las niñas. La rendición de cuentas es la fuerza motora del presente informe. En él se hace un balance del estado actual de los audaces compromisos asumidos en 2021 al término del primer año de implementación. Se arroja luz sobre la naturaleza de los compromisos y se analiza en qué medida cada uno corresponde con el progreso cuantificable. Se ponen de relieve los déficits y las tendencias, y se señala dónde es necesario intensificar el trabajo.

Generation Equality is a global initiative that aims to drive change through a multigenerational and multi-stakeholder approach, focusing on key issues like equal pay, fair distribution of unpaid care work, eradicating gender-based violence, healthcare access, and increasing women’s political participation. The third edition of the Generation Equality Accountability Report presents findings from the 2024 Commitments Reporting Survey. A year after the 2023 mid-point assessment, 53 per cent of Commitment Makers reported on 71 per cent of their commitments - a significant 40 percentage point increase from 2022. Notably, 160 Commitment Makers reported for the first time, reflecting growing engagement and accountability. This momentum is further evidenced by the USD 50.3 billion pledged towards gender equality by governments, the private sector, and multilateral organizations. Additionally, the Women, Peace, and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA) Compact highlighted that global instability affected 52 per cent of signatories, prompting 42 per cent to intensify efforts in conflict-affected regions. The report underscores Generation Equality's critical role in advancing gender equality within the 2030 Agenda. An overwhelming 94 per cent of Commitment Makers advocate for scaling up Generation Equality’s actions beyond 2026. The Accountability Report illustrates how Generation Equality has become a powerful catalyst, aligning with the vision of the 2024 Summit of the Future, particularly in promoting effective global cooperation and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

In the UN Decade for Action on Gender Equality, people around the world have pledged to move from rhetoric to action and to work together to drive lasting change, starting now. Through the 2021 Generation Equality Forum in Mexico and France, world leaders and partners committed to eliminating gender inequalities and to financing and implementing laws, policies, and programmes to meet priority actions and targets in a Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality. The aim is simple but profound: deliver irreversible, quantifiable results for women and girls in all their diversity. Together, commitment makers and signatories of a series of Action Coalitions, along with the Compact for Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action have begun to build an ambitious global movement. It unites diverse partners committed to collective accountability for women and girls. This accountability is the driving force of this report, which takes stock of the bold commitments made at the Forum one year into implementation. Through a survey of commitment-makers, the report sheds light on the nature of the commitments and assesses measurable progress. It highlights trends and notes where more work is needed. Generation Equality was born from the idea that the world could make catalytic progress on gender equality if a wide range of stakeholders united around a transformative vision and worked together to achieve it. These preliminary findings demonstrate that, while more remains to be done, collective action is powerful in making commitments real in the lives of women and girls.

À mi-chemin du Programme de développement durable à l’horizon 2030, le monde ne parvient pas à atteindre l’égalité des sexes, qui devient de fait un objectif de plus en plus lointain. Les dernières données disponibles montrent que, malgré un discours fort, aucun des indicateurs de l’objectif de développement durable 5 des Nations Unies (Égalité des sexes) n’est atteint et que de multiples crises, des lois régressives, des violences et des discriminations continuent de nuire à l’égalité entre les sexes. Lancée en 2021 à Mexico et à Paris, Génération Égalité est le principal effort mondial permettant à la volonté politique d’aller de l’avant et d’accélérer les investissements et la mise en œuvre en faveur de l’égalité des sexes. Elle rassemble des organisations de tous les secteurs de la société – par le biais d’alliances intergénérationnelles et multipartites – pour catalyser le progrès, pour plaider en faveur du changement et pour prendre ensemble des mesures audacieuses pour obtenir des résultats concrets et significatifs pour les filles et pour les femmes. À mi-parcours de Génération Égalité, ce deuxième rapport démontre, grâce à une analyse convaincante de nouvelles données, d’études de cas et d’exemples évocateurs, que Génération Égalité prend de l’ampleur et fournit une plateforme commune pour aborder les questions clés d’égalité des sexes de notre époque.

This Guide sets out in detail the content of comprehensive anti-discrimination law. It provides legislators and advocates with the tools to develop anti-discrimination legislation consistent with international legal standards on the rights to equality and non-discrimination. It aims to assist States in meeting their core international law obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil the rights to equality and non-discrimination. This Guide also includes practical examples to assist law- and policy-makers. It also provides specific guidance on the link between anti-discrimination law on the one hand, and minority rights on the other.

Between October 2023 and late November 2024, Lebanon experienced the largest escalation of hostilities with Israel since the 2006 War. Intense Israeli airstrikes coupled with evacuation orders across Lebanon, including in eastern and southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, resulted in mass displacement and heightened socioeconomic vulnerabilities among affected populations. As of 24 November 2024, close to 900,000 individuals were displaced due to the conflict, with women and girls making up 51 per cent of the internally displaced population. Of an estimated 260,000 households, close to 21 per cent were women-led households. Additionally, more than 80,000 Syrians and 3,466 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon were among the displaced. The conflict took a profound toll on people’s lives. Lebanese health officials estimate that, since the escalation of hostilities on 8 October 2023, 4,047 people have been killed and 16,638 wounded, including at least 790 women and 316 children. As commonly witnessed in other contexts, this latest Gender Alert confirms that while the conflict impacts civilians indiscriminately, women and girls have been disproportionately affected due to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that heighten their exclusion and risks.

The Arab region continues to experience persistent gender-based disparities despite global efforts towards inclusivity and gender equality. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 and 8 focus on promoting women's economic empowerment and ensuring equal pay, but progress in the Arab region remains slow. Women in the Arab region face significant barriers to accessing quality jobs, skills training, and fair wages, resulting in high unemployment and low labour force participation. Gender wage gaps are widespread, with men consistently earning more than women across various sectors. Although many Arab countries have laws mandating equal pay, enforcement remains inconsistent. Cultural norms and occupational segregation further exacerbate these disparities. This study investigates the gender wage gap and its determinants across seven Arab countries – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the State of Palestine, the Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen – using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method to quantify the portion of the wage gap attributable to discrimination. Drawing on data from labour force surveys and labour market panel surveys, the study provides a cross-country analysis of wage disparities. Bridging the gender wage gap in the Arab region will require sustained efforts and comprehensive strategies. This study offers practical recommendations to address these disparities and advance gender equality in the workforce.

This is the official report submitted to the General Assembly by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its Eighty-eighth session (13–31 May 2024), Eighty-ninth session (7–25 October 2024), Ninetieth session (3–21 February 2025).