Shortfall in Gender Equality as SDG Goals 2030 Deadline Nears

By: WE staff | Thursday, 25 September 2025

• The 2025 SDG Gender Snapshot is published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and UN Women
• The five remaining years to 2030 are already off track for meeting gender equality targets
• The report uses more than 100 data points tracking all 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The 2025 SDG Gender Snapshot released by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs indicates that all gender equality targets are off track and only have five years left until the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline.

Maternal mortality has fallen by almost 40 percent since 2000, and girls' school completion rates are at record highs. Technology is viewed as a key way forward, with internet use now at 70 percent among men and 65 percent among women.

Closing this digital divide could improve the lives of 343.5 million girls and women by 2050, cut extreme poverty among 30 million individuals, and add €1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

Despite all of these setbacks, there is some betterment in some areas. Rates of maternal death have decreased by nearly 40 percent since 2000, and girls are dropping out of school at a greater percentage than ever.

Technology is identified as being one area to move on with, with 70 percent of men online compared with 65 percent of women. Closing this digital gap can benefit 343.5 million women and girls by 2050, reduce extreme poverty for 30 million, and add US$1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

The report also identifies persistent threats to gender equality such as resistance to women's rights, contraction of civic space, and cutting back on funds, that have led to a 25 percent reduction in available gender data and constrained policymaking ability.

On the economic front, faster progress on care, education, the green economy, labour markets, and social protection could bring 110 million girls and women out of extreme poverty by 2050, yielding an estimated US$342 trillion in cumulative returns.

Women's overseas representation remains low since they hold 27.2 percent of parliamentary seats, 35.5 percent of local government seats, and 30 percent of management posts. It would take nearly a century to attain gender equality in leadership at the rate being experienced.

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the report places special focus on the year 2025 as the year of action and reminds everyone that gender equality is needed for peace, development, and human rights and that political will and government commitment are the determinants.

Six priority areas requiring urgent action are identified in the report: bridging the digital divide, eliminating poverty, stopping violence, enjoying full and equal capacity to make decisions, promoting peace and security, and addressing climate justice.