The Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2024 an annual report produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and UN Women, provides the latest data and analyses on the progress towards gender equality across all 17 Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The data presented in this edition of the report show that some progress has been made worldwide on gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment. Women hold one in every four parliamentary seats, a significant rise from a decade ago. The share of women and girls living in extreme poverty has finally dipped below 10 per cent following steep increases during the COVID-19 pandemic years.

Despite these advancements, however, none of the indicators and sub-indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 5—the goal for gender equality—has been met. At current rates, gender parity in parliaments remains a distant dream, potentially not achievable until 2063. It will still take a staggering 137 years to lift all women and girls out of poverty. And about 1 in 4 girls continue to be married as children.

The report includes a set of recommendations to eliminate gender disparities across all the Goals. For example, it calls for legal reforms to advance gender equality, highlighting that countries with domestic violence legislation have lower rates of intimate partner violence – 9.5 per cent compared to 16.1 per cent for those without. It also outlines six key investment paths that policymakers must prioritize to ensure the full and equal participation of women and girls in every aspect of society.