The latest data from global institutions paint a troubling picture—economic and political inequality persist, gender-based violence remains rampant. “Accelerated Action” must become a force for real, urgent change
The calendar page has turned and March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD), fades into the rear-view mirror. Yet, the echoes of pronouncements — of “Accelerated Action” — the very theme of IWD 2025 - still reverberate. Newspapers, policymakers, and government and international organisations have once again performed their ritual - churning out reports and issuing platitudes, all while the chasm of the gender gap yawns wider. They speak of strengthening the “fairer sex” — a term that dares to confine the boundless potential of women. Let us be clear: this is not about “disparities.” This is about the brutal, systemic discrimination that chokes life from women’s ambitions, both in the intimate spaces of their lives and the cold, unforgiving arenas of their professions. “Accelerated Action” is not a theme; it is a desperate, overdue demand for momentum - a seismic shift towards an unrelenting dismantling of the barriers and biases that have held women hostage for far too long.
The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2024 ‘Global Gender Gap Report’, highlights the slow progress in achieving gender equality, with the global gender gap now 68.5 per cent closed, an increase of just 0.1 per centage points from the previous year. Health and Survival (96 per cent) and Educational Attainment (94.9 per cent) are near parity, but Economic Participation (60.5 per cent) and Political Empowerment (22.5 per cent) remain significantly unequal. The report also points to regional disparities that persist, with Europe (75 per cent) leading the charge, North America (74.8 per cent), and Latin America and the Caribbean (74.2 per cent), while Southern Asia (63.7 per cent) and the Middle East and North Africa (61.7 per cent) lag behind. Iceland, Finland, and Norway are top performers, while Bangladesh, Iran, and Sudan struggle with gender inequality. At the current pace, full gender parity will take until 2158, far beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target.
In economic participation, women form 42per cent of the workforce but hold only 31.7 per cent of senior leadership roles. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) gender gap is stark, with women representing only 28.2 per cent of the STEM workforce versus 47.3 per cent in non-STEM sectors. Political empowerment has improved, with women occupying 33 per cent of parliamentary seats, nearly double the 18.8 per cent in 2006. The report further emphasises the role of caregiving policies, noting an increase in maternity leave from 63 to 107 days since 1970, while paternity leave remains low at nine to 15 days.
The report issues a compelling call to action, urging governments, businesses, and civil society to accelerate efforts toward gender equality. As the report emphasises, “Achieving gender parity is not just a moral imperative, but an economic necessity. Closing gender gaps will drive productivity, sustainability, and societal progress worldwide”.
Further, the UN Women’s Report on “Women’s Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing” (2025) is worth a reflection, which assesses global progress on gender equality since the 1995 ‘Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’. While 1,531 legal reforms have been enacted, disparities persist - women earn 20 per cent less than men, perform three times more unpaid care work, and only 63 per cent of working-age women are in the labour force compared to 92 per cent of men. Gender-based violence remains widespread, affecting 736 Million women globally, with 53 per cent of women in Europe and Central Asia facing online abuse. Maternal mortality rates have stagnated, and 236 Million additional women and girls are projected to face food insecurity by 2050 due to climate change. Further, Women remain underrepresented in politics (27 per cent of parliamentarians) and peace processes (10 per cent of negotiators in 2023). Despite 112 countries adopting national action plans on women, peace, and security, only 28 per cent have allocated sufficient funding.
To accelerate change, the “Beijing+30 Action Agenda” outlines six urgent priorities, such as ‘bridging the digital gender divide’, ‘eradicating violence against women’, ‘ensuring equal political representation’ and ‘securing climate justice for women’. Governments must significantly increase funding, implement stronger accountability measures, and prioritise gender-sensitive policies.
Achieving gender equality requires bold, immediate action, ensuring all women and girls have equal rights, opportunities, and safety in every sphere of life. Amidst all the celebrations - and resolutions - that marked IWD 2025, it is equally critical to reflect on the ‘Human Rights Watch World Report 2025’ that reveals a global regression in women’s rights, marked by intensified oppression in numerous regions. Afghanistan witnessed the Taliban’s extreme gender-based restrictions, effectively eliminating women from public life through bans on education and employment, alongside reports of severe abuses. In Sudan, conflict-driven sexual violence became a weapon of war, with widespread rape and forced marriages.
Moreover, the enduring issue of Crime Against Women (CAW) significantly hinders the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by undermining progress across a broad spectrum of objectives, specifically impeding SDG-3 concerning good health and well-being and SDG-5 dedicated to gender equality, as the repercussions of CAW permeate and disrupt these interconnected areas of social, economic, and gender equality. The road to true gender equality remains long and arduous. While progress has been made, systemic barriers, deep-rooted discrimination, and rising global challenges continue to hinder women’s empowerment and safety. The need for sustained, bold, and transformative action is urgent.
(The writer is programme executive Gandhi Smriti Sansthan. Views expressed are personal)
