At the launch of the 2025 SDG Gender Snapshot, UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) reported that none of the gender equality targets under SDG 5 are on track—a sobering milestone just five years from the 2030 deadline.
Bjørg Sandkjær, UN DESA Assistant Secretary-General, stressed the scale of the challenge:
“Profound gaps persist. At current trends, more than 350 million women and girls could still be living in extreme poverty by 2030.”
She noted that nearly 64 million more women than men experienced food insecurity in 2024, and that climate change could push 158 million women into extreme poverty by 2050 if left unchecked.
Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women’s Policy Division, described the findings bluntly:
“This year’s Gender Snapshot sounds a very clear and urgent alarm: not a single SDG 5 indicator has been met, and none are on track.” She underscored that regression is not inevitable, but “the result of disinvestment, institutional erosion, and systems that prioritize war over equality.”
Papa Alioune Seck, Chief of UN Women’s Research and Data, highlighted violence as a global crisis:
“Nearly one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. For every 10% increase in women’s financial inclusion, violence declines by approximately 2%.”
While the overall picture is troubling, the report points to tangible gains:
These cases show that investments in equality pay off—in lives saved, rights secured, and economies strengthened.
For ESG and sustainability leaders, the data is more than social context. It highlights systemic risks—conflict-related disruptions in supply chains, inequities in digital access, and workforce vulnerability due to unpaid care burdens. At the same time, it underscores opportunities: gender-responsive investment is both a moral imperative and an economic strategy.
