About the publication

At the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, Governments adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which “seeks to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all women throughout their life cycle.” Guided by these principles, the World’s Women 2015: Trends and Statistics presents the latest statistics and analyses of the status of women and men in areas of concern identified by the Platform for Action. It also reviews progress towards gender equality over the past 20 years. The publication is the sixth edition in a series.

The World’s Women 2015 comprises eight chapters covering critical areas of policy concern: population and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment, and poverty. In each area, a life-cycle approach is introduced to reveal the experiences of women and men during different periods of life—from childhood and the formative years, through the working and reproductive stages, to older ages.

The statistics and analyses presented in the following pages are based on a comprehensive and careful assessment of a large set of available data from international and national statistical agencies. Each chapter provides an assessment of gaps in gender statistics, highlighting progress in the availability of statistics, new and emerging methodological developments, and areas demanding further attention from the international community. In addition to the data presented in the chapters, a wide selection of statistics and indicators at the global, regional and country levels can be found in the Statistical Annex of this report.