March 6, 2025: In a concerning development, a quarter of countries worldwide experienced a regression in women’s rights in 2024, according to a report published by UN Women on March 6. This regression is attributed to a variety of factors, including climate change and the erosion of democratic institutions.
Democratic Backsliding and Gender Equality “The weakening of democratic institutions has gone hand in hand with backlash on gender equality,” the report stated, highlighting the efforts of “anti-rights actors” to undermine long-standing agreements on women’s rights issues. Nearly one-quarter of countries reported that backlash against gender equality is obstructing the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, established at the 1995 World Conference on Women.
Mixed Progress in Gender Equality Over the past three decades, progress on women’s rights has been inconsistent. Female representation in parliaments has more than doubled since 1995, but men still occupy about three-quarters of parliamentary seats. While the number of women receiving social protection benefits increased by a third between 2010 and 2023, around two billion women and girls still lack such protections. Gender employment gaps have remained stagnant for decades, with 63% of women aged 25 to 54 in paid employment compared to 92% of men in the same age group.
Emerging Threats to Gender Equality The report identifies several new potential threats to gender equality, including the Covid-19 pandemic, global conflicts, climate change, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Conflict-related sexual violence has surged by 50% over the past decade, with 95% of victims being children or young women. In 2023, 612 million women lived within 50km of armed conflict, marking a 54% increase since 2010. Additionally, at least 53% of women in 12 countries in Europe and Central Asia have experienced one or more forms of gender-based violence online.
Persisting Violence Against Women “Globally, violence against women and girls persists at alarming rates. Across their lifetime, around one in three women are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by a non-partner,” the report said.
Roadmap for Addressing Gender Inequality To combat these issues, the report outlines a multi-part roadmap, including fostering equitable access to new technologies like AI, implementing measures for climate justice, investing in poverty reduction, increasing women’s participation in public affairs, and combating gendered violence.
The findings underscore the urgent need for concerted global efforts to protect and promote women’s rights in the face of mounting challenges.