Women’s rights advance globally, but inequality and new risks persist
The first quarter of the 21st century has brought notable gains in women’s rights worldwide, driven by legal reforms and shifting public attitudes, though deep inequalities and mounting challenges remain, according to a 2025 UN Women report.
Since 1995, governments have enacted 1,531 legal reforms aimed at advancing gender equality, addressing issues such as violence against women, workplace discrimination, education and political participation.
Women are now more likely to attend school, enter the workforce and hold political office than three decades ago. Women hold about 27.2% of parliamentary seats globally, up from 11.3% in 1995, with Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates and Andorra among countries nearing or achieving gender parity.
Legal responses to violence against women have expanded significantly. By 2024, 84% of countries with available data had laws addressing domestic or intimate partner violence, a shift away from treating such abuse as a private matter. Countries with such laws report lower rates of intimate partner violence, UN Women said.
Education outcomes have also improved. The share of adolescent girls and young women out of school fell from nearly half in 2000 to 30% in 2023, while the number of illiterate young women aged 15–24 dropped to about 50 million.
Despite progress, gaps persist. Women hold only about 30% of managerial positions globally and have just 64% of the legal rights afforded to men. In more than half of countries, at least one law restricts women from doing the same jobs as men.
UN Women warned that progress remains fragile. Extreme poverty among women has stagnated since 2020, and an estimated 676 million women and girls lived near active conflict zones in 2024 — the highest level since the 1990s.
“Progress is possible, but it is uneven and at risk of reversal,” UN Women official Sarah Hendriks said, stressing that gains depend on sustained political will, funding and accountability.
