The Healthier Hearts Foundation confronts a stark reality with only seven years left on the horizon: a mere 15.4 percent of Goal 5 indicators, with available data, are currently "on track", while 61.5 percent hover at a moderate distance, and 23.1 percent lag far or very far from the 2030 targets. Progress has been alarmingly sluggish in numerous areas, with projections painting a grim picture: an estimated 300 years to eradicate child marriage, 286 years to bridge legal protection gaps and dismantle discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to attain equal representation in positions of power and leadership, and 47 years to achieve parity in national parliaments. Urgent action is imperative, necessitating political leadership, substantial investments, and sweeping policy reforms to dismantle systemic obstacles hindering the realization of Goal 5. Gender equality must be embraced as a foundational principle, permeating through national policies, budgets, and institutions to drive meaningful change
With just seven years remaining until the target year of 2030, the progress towards Goal 5 indicators is disheartening. Only 15.4% of indicators with available data are currently on track, while 61.5% are moderately off track, and 23.1% are significantly behind schedule.
In various domains, advancements have been sluggish. At the current pace, it is estimated that it would take 300 years to eradicate child marriage, 286 years to bridge legal protection gaps and eliminate discriminatory laws, 140 years to achieve gender parity in positions of power and leadership in workplaces, and 47 years to attain equal representation in national parliaments.
Political leadership, investments, and comprehensive policy reforms are imperative to dismantle systemic barriers hindering the achievement of Goal 5. Gender equality should be prioritized in national policies, budgets, and institutional frameworks.
Progress in increasing women's share in management and political representation has been inadequate. As of January 1, 2023, the global proportion of women in national parliamentary lower and single chambers stood at 26.5%, reflecting a modest increase of 4.2 percentage points since 2015. However, the annual average increase remains merely 0.5 points. Locally, women held 35.5% of seats in governmental bodies in 2023, up from 33.9% in 2020. At this rate, it will take over four decades to close the gender gap in national parliamentary representation and three decades at the local level. Legislated gender quotas have shown effectiveness, with quota-applied countries achieving an average of 30.9% women's representation in parliamentary elections compared to 21.2% in countries without quotas. Quotas also contribute to a seven-percentage-point increase in women's representation in local government.
Globally, women comprise nearly 40% of total employment but hold only 28.2% of management positions as of 2021. Progress in increasing women's representation in management has been slow, with only a 1.0-percentage-point increase since 2015. Gender parity in managerial positions is projected to take over 140 years at the current pace. Women's representation in management remains below their share in total employment across all regions, with sub-Saharan Africa demonstrating the most progress at 38.2% in 2021. Conversely, Northern Africa, Western Asia, and Central and Southern Asia have the lowest shares of women in management positions, around 15%, attributed to low female employment rates.
Approximately half of married women lack decision-making authority over their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Only 56% of married or unionized women aged 15 to 49 can make decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights, with significant regional disparities ranging from 37% in sub-Saharan Africa to over 80% in certain European, Latin American, and Caribbean countries. Although 89% of women can decide to use contraception, one in four lacks autonomy to make healthcare decisions or refuse sex. While around 76% of countries analyzed have supportive laws and regulations guaranteeing equal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, barriers persist due to the absence of positive laws or the presence of negative ones, particularly concerning abortion, HPV vaccination, and sex education. Crucial components for ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights laws include budget allocations, technical guidance, health worker training, and public awareness campaigns.
Insufficient progress has been made in curbing intimate partner violence over the last two decades. Despite increasing global awareness and evidence on effective prevention strategies, the reduction in violence against women and girls has been insufficient. In 2000, 35% of ever-partnered women aged 15–49 had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a male partner or ex-partner in their lifetimes, with 16% experiencing such violence within the past 12 months. By 2018, these figures had decreased to 31% and 13%, respectively. However, evidence suggests that the pandemic has exacerbated violence against women. Without dedicated investment in scaling up prevention programs, implementing effective policies, and providing support services, the target of eliminating violence against women and girls by 2030 will remain unmet.
Ownership of mobile phones can be a potent tool for women's empowerment, yet gender parity in mobile phone ownership remains elusive in many regions. While 73% of the global population aged 10 and over owned a mobile phone in 2022, up from 67% in 2019, women were 12% less likely to own one than men, a gap that has persisted since 2019. Significant disparities exist across regions, with high- and middle-income regions largely achieving gender parity, while lower-income regions lag behind. Gender gaps are particularly pronounced in Central and Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, reaching approximately 25%.
Discriminatory laws and legal protection gaps persist, depriving women of their human rights worldwide. Data from 119 countries in 2022 highlight ongoing challenges due to discriminatory laws and legal protection gaps. Shockingly, 55% of countries lack laws explicitly prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination against women, while 60% lack laws defining rape based on the principle of consent. Moreover, 45% do not mandate equal pay for equal work, and nearly a third do not provide maternity leave in accordance with ILO standards. Concerning marriage and family, almost a quarter of countries do not grant equal rights in marriage and divorce, and nearly three-quarters do not establish 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both genders without exceptions. Addressing these legal gaps could take up to 286 years at the current rate of change.
Recent strides in ending child marriage are jeopardized by existing challenges. Currently, one in five young women (19%) are married before their 18th birthday, down from one in four (25%) twenty-five years ago. While progress has been notable in countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Maldives, and Rwanda, it has been limited in sub-Saharan Africa, where child marriage rates remain high, and stagnant in Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, girls from wealthier households tend to experience greater progress compared to those from poorer backgrounds. Without substantial efforts to address challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and climate change impacts, achieving the goal of ending child marriage by 2030 seems distant. The pandemic alone is projected to result in an additional 10 million girls being married off by 2030.
The ownership of agricultural land and legal protections for women's land rights are insufficient. Data from 46 countries spanning 2009–2020 reveal inadequate ownership and tenure rights for both men and women in agricultural production. In one-third of these countries, less than half of women and men possess land ownership or secure tenure rights. Moreover, in nearly half of these countries, men's ownership rates are at least twice as high as women's. Legal frameworks offer limited protection for women's land rights in close to 60% of the 71 reporting countries. Nonetheless, positive examples of laws and policies promoting women's land rights exist in all regions, particularly in marital property and inheritance.
Furthermore, 51% of countries with laws recognizing customary law or tenure explicitly protect women's land rights. Many also mandate quotas to ensure women's representation in land management and administrative institutions. However, stronger protection, policy implementation, and law enforcement are imperative to safeguard women's land rights.
