A snapshot of global gender inequality: Deep divides persist despite gains

"The analysis reveals that inequality between men and women continues across nearly all areas. For example, 64 million more adult women than men suffer from food insecurity, and 9.2% of women and girls (376 million) currently live in extreme poverty, compared with 8.6% of men and boys. Furthermore, in 2024, 46.4% of women of working age were employed, compared with 69.5% of men."

"Women live longer, but spend more years of their lives in poor health than men (10.9 versus 8). And although the number of female senators and lawmakers is increasing, they still hold only 27.2% of parliamentary seats, while 102 countries have never had a female head of state or government. Where gender equality has been prioritized, it has proven to deliver results, says Sarah Hendriks, deputy executive director for policy at U.N. Women, in a video call with EL PAIS."

"Today, girls are more likely to complete school than at any other time in human history, maternal mortality has fallen by almost 40%, and in just five years, 99 laws were passed or amended to address discrimination. However, she continues, the world is not living up to the ambition of the Beijing Declaration and, in some cases, is even regressing and that regression is measured in lives, rights, and opportunities."

Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration, data show clear gains alongside persistent gender gaps. Women face higher food insecurity and a greater share of extreme poverty than men. Female labor-force participation remains far lower than male participation, and women spend more years in poor health despite longer lifespans. Women hold just over a quarter of parliamentary seats and many countries have never had a female head of state. Progress includes higher school completion for girls, a nearly 40% fall in maternal mortality, and legal reforms addressing discrimination, but cuts to development aid risk reversing these gains and endangering 2030 goals.

Read at english.elpais.com