{
  "id": 8146499,
  "title": "Gender equality ‘woefully off track’, UN warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/gender-equality-woefully-off-track-un-warns",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T01:45:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/18/gender-equality-woefully-off-track-un-warns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United Nations has issued a stark warning, declaring that gender equality is \"woefully off track.\" According to the UN's Gender Snapshot report, achieving gender equality would take an alarming 171 years at the current rate of progress. While the number of countries with a woman in a leadership position has increased from 2020 to 2026, six out of seven countries are still led by men. Women's representation in national cabinets has also declined, falling to 22.4% in 2026 from a peak of 23.3% in 2024.\n\nThe report highlights a concerning trend in women's political representation, which could undermine the gains made in recent years. Funding for gender equality initiatives has also hit its lowest level since 2021, with 42% of UN agencies reporting that budget cuts have weakened their efforts to promote gender equality. The UN acknowledges that millions of women continue to face severe forms of violence and discrimination worldwide, with one in five girls married before the age of 18 and one in three women having experienced partner or sexual violence in their lifetime.\n\nUN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs Li Junhua emphasized that these statistics are not inevitable. He stressed that investing in gender equality, institutions, and the statistical systems that monitor them is crucial for achieving equal power for all by 2030.",
  "summary": "The Gender Snapshot report shows that at the current rate of progress, gender equality would take 171 years to achieve.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Gender equality ‘woefully off track’, UN warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/gender-equality-woefully-off-track-un-warns-8151843",
        "published": "2026-09-18T01:45:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}