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A report by UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2025, presents the latest data and evidence on gender equality, tracking trends while highlighting progress and gaps. It also identifies priority areas for urgent actions, emphasizing that gender equality is essential for peace and sustainable development.
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Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2025, the latest edition in the annual series by UN Women and the United Nations, provides a comprehensive assessment of gender equality trends and evidence across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If the current trends continue, an estimated 351 million women and girls will continue to live in extreme poverty by 2030, failing to achieve SDG 5 on gender equality. The report identifies a potential path forward by investing in closing the gender digital divide, which could uplift 343.5 million women and girls and add $1.5 trillion to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
The report also highlights inequalities in sectors such as fisheries and climate governance. In 2022, women accounted for up to 24% of the 61.8 million people employed in fisheries and aquaculture. Meanwhile, in the processing subsector, women employed rose to about 62%. Despite their essential roles, women often work informally with lower pay and less stability, and comprise only 14% of management positions. Wage disparities and lack of recognition hinder women’s opportunities in the sector. The Women Ocean Guardians Commitment, established by three governments and twenty organizations, seeks to integrate gender equity in national ocean and biodiversity plans, thereby enhancing women’s participation in decision-making and strengthening their capacities.
Many initiatives for enhancing women’s participation in climate decision-making are necessary, as current representation remains below parity despite gradual increases. Women led 9.2% of delegations at the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), rising to 23.8% by 2024. While 46 countries reported including women in national consultations for nationally determined contributions (NDCs), only 33 engaged with marginalized women’s groups. Moreover, this involvement does not always yield gender-responsive policies, highlighting the need for systematic monitoring of women’s engagement who face the greatest climate impact. The UNFCCC Gender Action Plan for 2025 aims to provide a framework to advance such policies.
Reference: UN Women and DESA. 2025. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2025. New York: UN Women and DESA. © UN Women and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division
