3 things to know about the state of gender equality across the SDGs in 2024

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2024, the sixth joint publication by UN DESA and UN Women, was launched during the Summit of the Future week. The report reveals that none of the SDG 5 indicators have been met to date, while it examines progress on gender equality across all the 17 SDGs. Here are three things you should know about the latest global progress towards gender equality:

1. There have been some advances towards gender equality globally
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. Up to 56 legal reforms to address gender disparities have been enacted worldwide since 2019.

2. Progress is far too slow and widespread gender gaps persist across all SDGs 
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. About one in four girls continue to be married as children. Women and girls spend 250 million hours per day on water collection, over three times more than men and boys.

3. Targeted investments can have transformative results, and the world must prioritize six key investment areas 
The report outlines investments in food systems, energy, digital connectivity, education, jobs and social protection, and climate resilience to accelerate progress towards gender equality. For example: 

• Closing gender gaps in agriculture would add $1 trillion to global GDP and lift 45 million people out of food insecurity.
• If left unaddressed, the digital gender divide could cost low- and middle-income countries an estimated $500 billion in the next five years. 
• The annual global cost of countries failing to adequately educate their young populations is over $10 trillion.

For more information see: The SDG Gender Snapshot 2024

Photo: UN Women / Narendra Shrestha