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I believe that this goal is very important and that we should all push to have more gender equality all over the world.

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The world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. At the global level, none of the 18 indicators "met or almost met" the targets and only one is "close to target". At the current rate of progress, it is estimated that it will take up to 286 years to close gaps in leg al protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. Cascading global crises have highlighted and exacerbated existing gender inequalities, such as unequal access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. Political leadership and a comprehensive set of policy reforms are needed to dismantle systemic barriers to the achievement of SDG4.

Target 5.1: Based on data collected in 2022 in 119 countries, 55% of the countries lacked laws that prohibit direct and indirect discrimination against women; half of the countries continued to lack quotas for women in the national parliament; 60% of the countries failed to have laws defining rape based on the principle of consent; 45% of countries did not mandate equal remuneration for work of equal value; over a third of countries failed to provide maternity leave in accordance with ILO standards; almost a quarter of countries did not grant women equal rights with men to enter into marriage and initiate divorce; and close to three-quarters of countries failed to stipulate 18 years as the minimum age of marriage for women and men, with no exceptions.

Target 5.3: One in five young women worldwide (19%) were married in childhood in 2022. Globally, the prevalence of child marriage has declined from 21% in 2016. However, the profound effects of COVID-19 are threatening this progress, with up to 10 million additional girls at risk of child marriage over the course of a decade from the onset of the pandemic.

Target 5.5: As of 1 January 2023, women held 26.5% of seats in lower and single chambers of national parliaments, up from 22.3% in 2015. At the local level, women held 35.4% of seats in deliberative bodies, up from 33.9% in 2020. At this pace, parity in such bodies cannot be achieved by 2030. Also, gender parity in political institutions continues to be rare: only six countries had 50% or more women in their lower/single chambers of national parliaments and 3 in local legislatures. Globally, women held only 28.2% of management positions in 2021 (up just 1% since 2015), although they accounted for almost 40% of total employment.

Target 5.6: Based on data from 68 countries for 2007-2022, only 56% of married or in-union women aged 15 to 49 make their own decisions regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights, ranging from an average of 37% in sub-Saharan Africa to over 80% in some countries in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. Among the 115 countries with data in 2022, countries have in place, on average, 76% of the laws and regulations needed to guarantee full and equal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Target 5.a: Available data from 46 countries for 2009-2020 show that many women and men involved in agricultural production lack ownership and/or secure tenure rights over agricultural land. In one third of the countries, less than 50% of women and men have ownership or secure rights over agricultural land. The share of men having ownership is at least twice that of women in almost half of the countries. Of the 68 countries that reported on women's rights to land ownership and/or control in legal frameworks, by 2022, about 31% protect women's land rights considerably (a score of at least 5 out of 6), while 47% poorly protect women's land rights (a score of 3 out of 6 or below).

Target 5.b: Globally, 73% of the population aged 10 and over owned a mobile phone in 2022, up from 67% in 2019. Women were about 12% less likely to own mobile phones than men- the gap virtually unchanged from 2019.

Target 5.c: Based on data reported by 105 countries and areas for 2018-2021, 26% of countries globally have comprehensive systems in place to track and make public allocations for gender equality, 59% have some features of a system in place, and 15% do not have minimum elements of these systems.

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Goal 5 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

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Gender equality is a human right. It implies that women and men have the same privileges and rights. Women and men can participate together as equals and as equal value.

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In what countries is Gender Equality the worst?

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In what countries is Gender Equality the worst?

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When reading this article it made me wonder why these countries had so little equality towards women. In this article, it explains that climate change, hunger, and poverty play a part in these countries views of women.

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None of the issues listed in these countries, which rank among the worst for women's rights, can be fixed overnight or through policy change alone. Change and progress towards gender equality happens at the community, family, and even individual level - questioning intrinsic gender norms held by and for both women and men, what it means to be a woman or a man, and how equality can coexist with tradition.

Yet we also see how deep the connections go between gender inequality and issues like poverty, hunger, conflict and climate change. At Concern, gender transformation is at the heart of all of our programmes, whether they're designed to address agricultural challenges, help individuals build small businesses, respond to an acute crisis, or end hunger. As an international team of over 4,000, and with the millions of people we serve each year, we critically examine and challenge gender dynamics in order to make greater, more sustainable progress towards ending extreme poverty. Where it makes sense, we also build and strengthen systems to support that level of equality.

These initiatives include mandatory gender training - for men and women - for participants in our Graduation programme, a multi-year, multi-million Euro project to develop a safe learning model for schools in Sierra Leone, and advocating at the policy level with local and national representatives to ensure that new policies help to restore gender parity.

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10 of the worst countries for women's rights

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Based on data published by Georgetown University and the United Nations, these are ten of the worst countries for women's rights, what the issues are, and how Concern is addressing them.

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What are the explanations for gender inequality?

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What are the explanations for gender inequality?

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The explanations this article states for the reason of gender inequality are societal expectations, attitudes,and discrimination.

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On average, women earn less than men in equivalent employment. The gap between men and women's pay for full-time workers was 7.4% in April 2020 , compared with 9.5% in 2015. The gender pay gap for under 40s is close to zero.

In part time work in the UK, women earn 2.9% more than men. (Source: ONS)

Within the Equality Act 2010, the Labour Government planned to force employers to publish full pay details of all employees. However, the government changed these plans to allow companies to publish on a voluntary basis.

Women generally are also likely to have lower pensions and to have alternative sources of income such as dividends from stocks and shares.

Employment

Women are disproportionately represented in lower paid employment. Women are concentrated in the 5Cs - caring, cashiering, catering, cleaning and clerical - employment areas where rates of pay are historically lower.

Women are also less likely to be employed, economically active, offered promotion or to access training courses when compared to men. In the UK, 38% of women were working part time compared to 13% of men.

Females out-perform males at every level in education from primary, through secondary and into further and higher education although the gap narrows the older people become.

Women are more likely to live in smaller properties of poorer quality. They are also more likely to be renting the property they live in.

Women have greater life expectancy but higher rates of ill health.

Social mobility

The chances of improving one's own life through work are considerably less for women than men.

Explanations for gender inequality include:

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Gender inequality - Effect of inequality on groups in society - Higher Modern Studies Revision - BBC Bitesize

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On average, women earn less than men in equivalent employment. The gap between men and women's pay for full-time workers was 7.4% in April 2020 , compared with 9.5% in 2015. The gender pay gap for under 40s is close to zero. In part time work in the UK, women earn 2.9% more than men.

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Is Iceland the gender-equality haven for women it seems to be?

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Is Iceland the gender-equality haven for women it seems to be?

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In this video, it shows the perspectives of many women and what they face even in a progressive country/society.

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Is Iceland the gender-equality haven for women it seems to be? - BBC World Service

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In this article it talks about how gender inequality is a significant determinant of health. Discriminatory gender norms can lead to gaps in access to healthcare, exposure to violence, and overall well-being.

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Gender refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.

Gender is hierarchical and produces inequalities that intersect with other social and economic inequalities. Gender-based discrimination intersects with other factors of discrimination, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location, gender identity and sexual orientation, among others. This is referred to as intersectionality.

Gender interacts with but is different from sex, which refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males and intersex persons, such as chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs. Gender and sex are related to but different from gender identity. Gender identity refers to a person's deeply felt, internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person's physiology or designated sex at birth.

Gender influences people's experience of and access to healthcare. The way that health services are organized and provided can either limit or enable a person's access to healthcare information, support and services, and the outcome of those encounters. Health services should be affordable, accessible and acceptable to all, and they should be provided with quality, equity and dignity.

Gender inequality and discrimination faced by women and girls puts their health and well-being at risk. Women and girls often face greater barriers than men and boys to accessing health information and services. These barriers include restrictions on mobility; lack of access to decision-making power; lower literacy rates; discriminatory attitudes of communities and healthcare providers; and lack of training and awareness amongst healthcare providers and health systems of the specific health needs and challenges of women and girls.

Consequently, women and girls face greater risks of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, cervical cancer, malnutrition, lower vision, respiratory infections, malnutrition and elder abuse, amongst others. Women and girls also face unacceptably high levels of violence rooted in gender inequality and are at grave risk of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriage. WHO figures show that about 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Harmful gender norms - especially those related to rigid notions of masculinity - can also affect boys and men's health and wellbeing negatively. For example, specific notions of masculinity may encourage boys and men to smoke, take sexual and other health risks, misuse alcohol and not seek help or health care. Such gender norms also contribute to boys and men perpetrating violence - as well as being subjected to violence themselves. They can also have grave implications for their mental health.

Rigid gender norms also negatively affect people with diverse gender identities, who often face violence, stigma and discrimination as a result, including in healthcare settings. Consequently, they are at higher risk of HIV and mental health problems, including suicide.

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Women faced more economic problems because many lost jobs and had more care-giving duties. Health services became harder to access, leading to worse health outcomes for women, especially in poorer areas.

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Gender Inequality is negatively associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls

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Gender Inequality is negatively associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls

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This article shows the impact of gender inequality on academic achievement. It can affect academic performance in math, reading, and science for both boys and girls.

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Gender Inequality is negatively associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls - npj Science of Learning

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npj Science of Learning - Gender Inequality is negatively associated with academic achievement for both boys and girls

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Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women and the Fight for Equal Pay

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Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women and the Fight for Equal Pay

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Women from different ethnicities face a big difference in pay compared to white men in the U.S. The gap exists in every state, since they are caused by discrimination.

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Breaking Barriers: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women and the Fight for Equal Pay - IWPR

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In 2023, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women earned 92.9 percent of what White men made in median annual earnings for full-time full-year work. However, when part-time and part-year workers are included, this figure drops to just 80.4 percent.

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Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions on women’s rights intensify

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Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions on women’s rights intensify

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This article explains the escalating repression in Afghanistan toward women. They are enforcing more gender-based restrictions.

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Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions on women’s rights intensify

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Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have followed through on decrees aimed at erasing women from public life in the country and restricting their freedom of movement, the UN mission to the country (UNAMA) said in its latest human rights report published on Thursday covering the first quarter of 2025.

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2.4 Billion Women Globally Don’t Have Same Economic Rights as Men

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2.4 Billion Women Globally Don’t Have Same Economic Rights as Men

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2.4 billion working-age women worldwide are still denied the same economic opportunities as men due to persistent legal barriers. Over 100 countries still have laws that limit women in participating in economic life.

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RELATED: STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
WASHINGTON, Mar. 1, 2022 - Around 2.4 billion women of working age are not afforded equal economic opportunity and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent their full economic participation, according to the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law 2022 report. In 86 countries, women face some form of job restriction and 95 countries do not guarantee equal pay for equal work.

Globally, women still have only three quarters of the legal rights afforded to men -- an aggregate score of 76.5 out of a possible 100, which denotes complete legal parity. However, despite the disproportionate effect on women's lives and livelihood from the global pandemic, 23 countries reformed their laws in 2021 to take much-needed steps towards advancing women's economic inclusion, according to the report.

"While progress has been made, the gap between men's and women's expected lifetime earnings globally is US$172 trillion - nearly two times the world's annual GDP," said Mari Pangestu, World Bank Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships. "As we move forward to achieve green, resilient and inclusive development, governments need to accelerate the pace of legal reforms so that women can realize their full potential and benefit fully and equally."

Women, Business and the Law 2022 measures laws and regulations across 190 countries in eight areas impacting women's economic participation - mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pensions. The data offer objective and measurable benchmarks for global progress toward gender equality. Just 12 countries, all part of the OECD, have legal gender parity. New this year is a 95-country pilot survey of laws governing childcare -- a critical area where support is needed for women to succeed in paid employment. A pilot analysis of how laws affecting women's economic empowerment are actually implemented is also included, highlighting the difference between laws on the books and the reality experienced by women.

The Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa regions showed the largest improvements in the WBL Index in 2021, though they continue to lag behind other parts of the world overall. Gabon stands out with comprehensive reforms to its civil code and the enactment of a law on the elimination of violence against women. Gabon's score rose from 57.5 in 2020 to 82.5 in 2021.

Globally, the highest number of reforms were made in the Parenthood, Pay, and Workplace indicators. Many reforms focused on protecting against sexual harassment in employment, prohibiting gender discrimination, increasing paid leave for new parents, and removing job restrictions for women. The Pay and Parenthood indicators have the lowest average scores in the index, but they have increased in the last year, rising 0.9 and 0.7 points, respectively, with average scores of 68.7 and 55.6. The gains in the Parenthood indicator have largely been around paternity leave and shared parental leave, but the low score highlights the need to accelerate reforms in this area.

"Women cannot achieve equality in the workplace if they are on an unequal footing at home," said Carmen Reinhart, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group. "That means leveling the playing field and ensuring that having children doesn't mean women are excluded from full participation in the economy and realizing their hopes and ambitions."

Across the world, 118 economies guarantee 14 weeks of paid leave for mothers. More than half (114) of the economies measured mandate paid leave for fathers, but the median duration is just one week.

In the past year, Hong Kong SAR, China-which previously provided 10 weeks of paid maternity leave-introduced the recommended 14-week minimum duration. Armenia, Switzerland, and Ukraine introduced paid paternity leave. Colombia, Georgia, Greece, and Spain introduced paid parental leave, which offer both parents some form of paid leave to care for a child following birth. Laws promoting paid leave for fathers can reduce discrimination in the workplace and improve work-life balance.

Women, Business and the Law 2022 introduces pilot research behind two new areas: legal environment for childcare services and implementation of laws.A growing number of economies are investing in childcare to enhance children's skills and recognize unpaid care work by women, who often take on more caregiving duties. The pilot research analyzed laws in 95 economies and finds that most OECD high-income and Europe and Central Asia economies regulate public childcare services while in the Middle East and North Africa and South Asia regulations mandate the private sector or employers to provide care services for children of working parents.

To make childcare more affordable and widely used, some countries offer financial support to parents or childcare providers. The research also looked at quality aspects regulated such as teacher-to-child ratio, maximum group sizes, training requirements for teachers, as well as licensing, inspections and reporting requirements for service providers. More evidence is needed on what constitutes good quality and what aspects of quality might determine parental uptake of services.

This edition also explores the operation of Women, Business and the Law indicators in practice in 25 economies. An analysis of the laws' implementation schemes reveals a substantial gap between legislation on the books and legal operation. Laws alone are not enough to improve gender equality; factors at play include not only their implementation and enforcement, but also social, cultural, and religious norms. These gaps will be further explored in future cycles of Women, Business and the Law reports.
Regional Highlights
Advanced Economies: Advanced economies continue to make progress on the indicators. Greece, Spain and Switzerland reformed laws in 2021, all focusing on improving paid leave for new parents. Twelve advanced economies are the world's only economies that score 100 - Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

East Asia and the Pacific: TheEast Asia and the Pacific region continues to reform its legislation towards gender equality, but at a slow pace. Two economies from East Asia reformed last year. Cambodia introduced an old-age pension system that sets equal ages at which women and men can retire with full pension benefits. Vietnam eliminated all restrictions on women's employment.

Europe and Central Asia: The Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region is the second highest scoring region, with an average score of 84.1. Four economies reformed last year. Armenia and Ukraine introduced paid paternity leave, and Georgia introduced paid parental leave. Ukraine also equalized the ages at which women and men can retire with full pension benefits. Cyprus allowed women to apply for a passport in the same way as men. Important challenges remain in the areas of Pay and Pension which have the lowest average scores in this region. For example, almost half of the economies in ECA do not mandate equal remuneration for work of equal value, and the ages for full pension benefits are still unequal in 17 economies.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Women in Latin America and the Caribbean have less than three-quarters of the legal rights of men. Two of the region's 32 economies enacted reforms in the past year. Argentina explicitly accounted for periods of absence due to childcare in pension benefits. Colombia became the first country in Latin America to introduce paid parental leave, aiming to reduce discrimination against women in the workplace. Only half of the economies in the region guarantee any paid leave for fathers.

Middle East and North Africa: Women in the Middle East and North Africa have, on average, only half of the legal rights that men do. However, the region improved its laws the most due to reforms in five economies. Bahrain mandated equal pay for work of equal value and lifted restrictions on women's ability to work at night. It also repealed provisions giving the relevant authority the power to prohibit or restrict women from working in certain jobs or industries. Egypt enacted legislation protecting women from domestic violence and made access to credit easier for women by prohibiting gender-based discrimination in financial services. Kuwait prohibited gender discrimination in employment and adopted legislation on sexual harassment in employment. Lebanon enacted legislation criminalizing sexual harassment in employment. Oman allowed women to apply for a passport in the same way as men.

South Asia: Women in South Asia have only two-thirds of the legal rights of men in the region. Only one economy in the region reformed. Pakistan lifted restrictions on women's ability to work at night.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa has a wide range of performance on the Women, Business and the Law index, ranging from 89.4 in Mauritius to 29.4 in Sudan. The region implemented comprehensive reforms, achieving the second highest improvement in the index last year. Gabon stands out, with comprehensive reforms to its civil code and the enactment of a law on the elimination of violence against women. These reforms gave women the same rights to choose where to live as men, get jobs without permission from their husbands, removed the requirement for married women to obey their husbands and allows women to be head of household in the same way as men. Gabon granted spouses equal rights to immovable property and equal administrative authority over assets during marriage. Gabon also enacted legislation protecting women from domestic violence. Gabon's reforms gave women the same rights to open a bank account as men and prohibited gender-based discrimination in financial services.

Also in the Africa region, Angola enacted legislation criminalizing sexual harassment in employment. Benin removed restrictions on women's employment in construction, so that women can now work in all the same jobs in the same way as men. Burundi mandated equal remuneration for work of equal value. Sierra Leone made access to credit easier for women by prohibiting gender-based discrimination in financial services. Togo introduced new legislation which no longer prohibits the dismissal of pregnant workers, reducing women's economic opportunities.

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Nearly 2.4 Billion Women Globally Don't Have Same Economic Rights as Men

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Around 2.4 billion women of working age are not afforded equal economic opportunity and 178 countries maintain legal barriers that prevent their full economic participation, according to the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law 2022 report. In 86 countries, women face some form of job restriction and 95 countries do not guarantee equal pay for equal work.

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Why Gender Equality is Good for Everyone - TED Talk

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Why Gender Equality is Good for Everyone - TED Talk

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In this TED talk they talk about how gender equality benefits everyone whether it's in work places, societies, and for individuals. It can improve societal well being. It has an economic impact. Gender equality can improve your personal life.

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Why Gender Equality Is Good for Everyone — Men Included | Michael Kimmel | TED Talks

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Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality 

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Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality 

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This article is based on a global survey, that reveals a strong support for gender equality. The survey showed that 94% believe that it is important for women to have the same right as men.

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Twenty-five years after the United Nations' Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action pledged to take the necessary steps to "remove all obstacles to gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women," support for gender equality is strong around the globe. Across 34 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, a median of 94% think it is important for women in their country to have the same rights as men, with 74% saying this is very important.

In many countries, women place more importance on gender equality than men do. However, women are less optimistic than men that women in their countries will achieve equality in the future, and they are more likely to say men have better lives than women.

While publics around the world embrace the idea of gender equality, at least four-in-ten think men generally have more opportunities than women in their country when it comes to getting high-paying jobs (a median of 54% across the 34 countries surveyed) and being leaders in their community (44%). Publics see more equity in access to a good education - a median of 81% believe men and women in their country generally have the same opportunities in this area - and expressing their political views (63% say men and women have the same opportunities). No more than 6% say women have more opportunities than men in any of these realms.

Majorities in most European countries surveyed, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Israel, Australia, Canada and the United States, say men in their country have more opportunities than women when it comes to getting high-paying jobs. When it comes to being leaders in their communities, more than half in Nigeria, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Italy, Tunisia, Greece, France and Slovakia think men in their country have more opportunities than women.

Despite widespread support for gender equality around the world, a notable share (a median of 40% across the countries surveyed) thinks men should have more right to a job than women when jobs are scarce; 56% disagree with this notion. In some countries, men are more likely than women to say men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce, with double-digit gender differences in Kenya, Nigeria, Bulgaria, South Africa, Israel, Slovakia, Italy, Argentina and the Czech Republic.

When asked who has a better life in their country, a 46% median across the 34 countries surveyed say men do, while 15% point to women and 31% volunteer that neither men nor women have a better life. Majorities in France, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Australia and the Netherlands think men have a better life than women in their country. Tunisia is the only country surveyed where more say women have a better life than say men do, although similar shares say women have a better life as say both men and women enjoy the same quality of life.

In most of the 34 countries surveyed, women are more likely than men to say men have a better life in their country. Gender differences are particularly large on this question in Greece (women are 27 percentage points more likely to say this), Slovakia (25 points), Italy (25), Canada (20), Brazil (20), Hungary (19) and Turkey (18).

The shares saying that men have a better life than women in their country have increased considerably since 2010 in many of the countries where trends are available - possibly as a result of increased awareness of gender issues spurred by the #MeToo Movement - with differences of at least 20 percentage points in Turkey, the UK, South Korea and Japan. Poland is the only country surveyed in both years where a smaller share now says men have a better life than did so in 2010.

Despite seeing some advantages for men, most people express optimism about the future of gender equality in their country. A median of 75% across the 34 countries surveyed think it is likely that women in their country will eventually have the same rights as men, and 5% volunteer that women in their country have already achieved equality.

Men tend to be more optimistic than women about prospects for gender equality, with gender differences of at least 10 percentage points in 10 countries and smaller but significant differences in 11 others. For example, 77% of men in Japan - compared with 58% of women - say it's likely that women in their country will eventually attain or already have the same rights as men. Nigeria and the Philippines are the only countries surveyed where a larger share of women than men are optimistic about gender equality.

When it comes to family life, the sense is that men and women have about the same influence in making important decisions in their households. A 34-country median of 55% say both have roughly equal influence when it comes to important decisions about household finances, 56% say this about how to raise children and 62% say this of decisions about a family's religious practices. To the extent that people see a difference, however, men are generally seen as having more of an influence than women when it comes to decisions about household finances, while women are generally seen as having more influence when it comes to decisions about raising children.

In nearly every country surveyed, majorities say that a marriage where both the husband and wife have jobs and take care of the home is more satisfying than one where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children. Even so, sizable shares in many countries say a more traditional marriage would be preferable, including about four-in-ten in India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Turkey and Tunisia.

These are among the major findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted among 38,426 people in 34 countries from May 13 to Oct. 2, 2019.

Widespread support for equal rights for men and women

Most people agree it is important for women to have the same rights as men in their country. Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 94% hold this view, including nearly all in Sweden, the Netherlands, France, the U.S., Canada, Germany, Greece, Spain, Australia, Argentina, the UK and Hungary.

In addition, majorities

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Worldwide Optimism About Future of Gender Equality, Even as Many See Advantages for Men

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Sizable shares say men have more opportunities for high-paying jobs and that men should have preferential treatment when jobs are scarce.

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Since the 1950s women's share of the labor force has risen by 30% to 47%, however it recently plateaued and it is predicted that it will remain under half through 2032. Women also have made up 51% of the college educated workforce and 35% of workers with the highest paying jobs, which is a big increase since 1980. However, women are still not very represented in leadership roles like in positions across government and business. Showing that the gender gap is still present at the highest positions.

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For American women, job opportunities look much different than they did 50 years ago. Women have made gains in labor force participation and wages, and they've increased their presence in the highest-paying jobs. Some of that progress has stalled in recent years, however, and large gender gaps persist at the top levels of government and business leadership.

Ahead of Women's History Month, here's a look at some of these trends and data points, based on Pew Research Center surveys and analyses as well as federal data.

Women made up 47% of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2023, up from 30% in 1950 - but growth has stagnated, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows. The share of women in the labor force generally grew throughout the second half of the 20th century but has since leveled off.

The BLS projects that women will continue to make up slightly less than half of the labor force through 2032.

Women outnumber men in the U.S. college-educated workforce, now making up 51% of those ages 25 and older, according to Current Population Survey data from the fourth quarter of 2023. Women first surpassed men in the college-educated labor force in the fourth quarter of 2019. They remained more than half of this group through the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a sharp recession and an overall decline in the size of the nation's labor force.

The gender shift in the college-educated labor force happened about four decades after women overtook men in the number of adults earning a bachelor's degree each year.

About a third of workers in the country's 10 highest-paying occupations (35%) are women - up from 13% in 1980, a November 2023 analysis of Census Bureau data shows. Women have increased their presence in almost all of these high-paying jobs. Workers in these occupations typically earn more than $100,000 a year and include physicians, lawyers and dentists.

Despite these gains, women are still the minority in nine of these jobs. Pharmacists are the exception: 61% are women. The share of women in the other nine occupations remains well below their share in the U.S. workforce overall.

The share of women in opposite-sex marriages who earn as much as or more than their husband has roughly tripled over the past 50 years, according to a spring 2023 analysis of Census Bureau data. In 2022, women were the sole or primary breadwinner in 16% of opposite-sex marriages, up from 5% in 1972. Husbands and wives are roughly equal contributors in 29% of marriages today, compared with 11% in 1972.

Looked at another way, husbands were the breadwinner in 85% of marriages 50 years ago. That has dropped to 55% of marriages today.

The gender pay gap - the difference between the median earnings of men and women - has remained relatively flat in the United States over the past two decades, according to an analysis of hourly earnings of full- and part-time workers. In 2022, U.S. women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar men earned. That was about the same as in 2002, when women earned 80 cents to the dollar.

When asked about the factors that may play a role in the gender wage gap, half of U.S. adults point to employers treating women differently as a major reason, an October 2022 survey shows. Smaller shares point to women making different choices about how to balance work and family (42%) and working in jobs that pay less (34%).

Women are much more likely than men (61% vs. 37%) to say a major reason for the gap is that employers treat women differently.

Women still lag in top leadership positions in business and government. Women have made inroads in a wide range of leadership positions in recent decades, but have not reached parity with their male counterparts in most cases. As of September 2023:

Federal and state legislators: 28% of U.S. congressional members and about a third of state legislators are women.

Governors: 8 Democratic and four Republican women serve as governors.

Presidential Cabinet: President Joe Biden's Cabinet is a rare example of gender parity in government leadership. Of 25 Cabinet or Cabinet-level positions, 12 are held by women (48%).

Executive business leadership: 11% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women, along with 30% of Fortune 500 board members.

Slim majorities of Americans say there are too few women in top political offices and executive business positions, a July 2023 survey shows. When it comes to the number of women elected to political office, 53% of adults say there are too few, 8% say there are too many, and 37% say it is about right. Views of women in business leadership are similar: 55% of adults say there are too few women in these roles, 6% say there are too many, and 37% say there are about the right number.

In both cases, Americans cite the same top reasons why there are fewer women than men in these roles: that women have to do more to prove themselves than men, and that women in each field face gender discrimination.

The public is divided over whether being a woman makes it more difficult to get ahead, according to an April 2023 survey. Half of Americans say that being a woman hurts a person's ability to get ahead in the U.S., while 24% say it helps, and 25% say it neither helps nor hurts.

Women are more likely than men to say being a woman hurts one's ability to get ahead in the U.S. (58% vs. 40%).

These divisions also exist in views of women's standing in the workplace. A February 2023 survey found that 28% of employed adults say that being a woman makes it a little or a lot harder to be successful where they work, while just 11% say it makes things easier. Another 49% say being a woman makes things neither easier nor harder.

Women are more likely than men to say that being a woman makes it at least a little harder to be successful in their workplace (34% vs. 21%).
Note: This is an update of a post originally published on March 15, 2018.

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For Women's History Month, a look at gender gains - and gaps - in the U.S.

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Women made up 47% of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2023, up from 30% in 1950 - but growth has stagnated.

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How did the history of gender inequality towards women in Afghanistan contribute to the cause of the government making more oppressive laws?

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I think I want to research gender inequality which must be addressed to reach SDG gender equality goal #5 I will focus on Afghanistan and the organizations that are working on lessening the oppressive laws towards women.

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This video shows the Sudanese refugee crisis. It highlights women that risked everything to cross their border in dire humanitarian conditions.

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Women In A Warzone: The Untold Story of Women in the Sudan Crisis

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How gender discrimination affects girls’ daily lives in Pakistan

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How gender discrimination affects girls’ daily lives in Pakistan

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This article shares a 13 year-old's experience with gender discrimination in Pakistan.

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How gender discrimination affects girls’ daily lives in Pakistan — Assembly | Malala Fund

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13-year-old student activist Fatima Binte Muhammad envisions a future where girls’ voices are heard and valued.

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Iraq: Personal Status Law Amendment Sets Back Women’s Rights

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Iraq: Personal Status Law Amendment Sets Back Women’s Rights

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A personal status law in Iraq allowing couples to choose between the existing civil code or a new religious-based code, a move Human Rights Watch warns undermines equality and women’s rights.

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Iraq: Personal Status Law Amendment Sets Back Women’s Rights

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After months of legal and political wrangling, an amendment to Iraq’s Personal Status Law that entered into force on February 17, 2025, violates women’s and girls’ rights to equality before the law and puts them at risk of other abuses.

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The Taliban and the Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights

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The Taliban and the Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights

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There is severe repression in Afghanistan towards women's rights. Their rights are deprioritized. This is one of the world's most serious women rights crisis.

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The Taliban and the Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights

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In the last two and a half years after regaining power in Afghanistan, the Taliban, have created the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis, systematically violating the rights of women and girls around education, paid employment, freedom of speech and movement, and political participation, among many others.

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What caused the government in Afghanistan to decide that oppressive laws towards women will improve the state of their country?