A new United Nations report has found that nearly a quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash against women’s rights in 2024, marking a troubling reversal of progress. Released ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the report by UN Women, Women’s Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing, underscored the urgent need to safeguard and advance gender equality amid growing threats.
UN Women has also launched the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, a roadmap aimed at addressing the unfinished business of gender equality in light of the report’s findings.
Despite three decades of progress since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action — the most comprehensive global framework for gender equality — many women and girls are experiencing increased discrimination, weaker legal protections and dwindling resources for gender-focused programmes.
The report highlighted a concerning trend: instead of advancing equal rights, many societies are witnessing the mainstreaming of misogyny.
“When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Yet, globally, women’s human rights are under attack,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.”
Among the setbacks, the report cited growing resistance to legal reforms promoting gender equality, reduced funding for women’s rights organisations and the increasing use of digital technology to spread harmful stereotypes. It also noted a surge in the number of women and girls living in conflict zones, which has increased by 50 per cent in the past decade.
Gender-based violence remains a crisis, with a woman or girl killed every ten minutes by a partner or family member.
While 1,531 legal reforms have been enacted since 1995 to support gender equality, women still hold only 64 per cent of the legal rights that men enjoy. Although 88 per cent of countries have laws against gender-based violence, enforcement remains inconsistent and financial support for critical services is inadequate, the report found.
Economic inequality persists, with women earning on average 20 per cent less than men. A staggering 772 million women work in the informal economy, often without social protection. The digital gender gap further limits their economic opportunities, with artificial intelligence and online platforms perpetuating harmful stereotypes while failing to safeguard women’s rights online.
Violence against women and girls remains a global emergency. One in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, while emerging forms of technology-facilitated violence, such as online harassment and deepfake imagery, are compounding the problem.
Although 90 per cent of countries have introduced or strengthened laws against gender-based violence, only 79 per cent have comprehensive national action plans to address the issue.
Women’s participation in politics has seen some improvement but remains far from parity. Women now occupy 27 per cent of parliamentary seats globally, up from 11 per cent in 1995. However, nearly three-quarters of seats are still held by men, UN Women found.
The report stressed the effectiveness of temporary special measures, such as gender quotas, to accelerate progress toward gender parity in political representation.
The newly launched Beijing+30 Action Agenda focuses on six key areas:
Bridging the digital gender divide to ensure women and girls can access and shape technological advancements.
Freedom from poverty through investments in universal health coverage, education and care services, creating millions of green and decent jobs.
Zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, with stronger laws, better enforcement and support for frontline organisations.
Equal decision-making power, leveraging gender quotas and other measures to enhance women’s representation in leadership.
Women’s roles in peace and security, with fully financed national plans and sustained support for grassroots women’s organisations.
Climate justice, ensuring that women’s voices and expertise are central to environmental policies and the green economy.
Sima Bahous, UN Women’s Executive Director, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing gender equality. “Women and girls are demanding change — and they deserve nothing less,” she stated. “Complex challenges stand in the way, but we remain steadfast, pushing forward with ambition and resolve.”
The report emphasised that achieving gender equality requires not only political will but also substantial financial investment. An estimated $360 billion per year is needed to meet global gender equality targets by 2030. Governments, civil society and the private sector must collaborate to close the accountability and financing gaps and turn commitments into concrete action.
The upcoming Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) provides a critical opportunity to enshrine the Beijing+30 Action Agenda into national and international policies.
“Gender equality and women’s empowerment are the basis for a more just and equal world,” the report concluded. “We have the opportunity to be the first generation to live in an equal world — if we take action now.”