Gender equality ‘woefully off track’, UN warns

The United Nations has expressed grave concern that gender equality remains far from being achieved, with progress falling far short of the needed pace. According to the UN's Gender Snapshot report, it would take an estimated 171 years to attain gender equality at the current rate. Though the number of countries led by women has increased from 2020 to 2026, men continue to dominate political leadership, with a mere 22.4% of national cabinets being led by women in 2026 - a decline from the peak of 23.3% in 2024.

The report warns that these gains are not secure and that the fight for equal political power remains precarious. Moreover, funding for gender equality initiatives has dwindled to its lowest point since 2021, with 42% of UN agencies reporting that their efforts have been undermined by budget cuts. This decline in support has had dire consequences, as millions of women continue to suffer severe forms of violence and discrimination worldwide.

Nearly one in five girls is married before the age of 18, and one in three women globally have experienced partner or sexual violence in their lifetime. In the past year alone, 316 million women faced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, according to the report.

UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs Li Junhua emphasized that these grim statistics are not predestined. Instead, they are the result of deliberate choices, which can be seen through the data. He stressed that investing in gender equality, institutions, and the statistical systems that monitor them is not an expense but the most efficient path back to the 2030 Agenda's promise of equal power for all.