Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2026 is the latest edition in an annual series produced by UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Covering all 17 Goals, the report spotlights the latest data and evidence on gender equality, tracking trends and revealing progress and gaps.
The 2026 Gender Snapshot is clear: The promise of gender equality in leadership and decision-making is a distant dream.
The evidence that this promise is fraying is clear. On political leadership alone, parity in national parliaments will not be reached for another 63 years. Of 175 Chief Justices globally, 144 are men and only 31 are women. In a 2026 survey of national gender equality mechanisms, one in three (32 per cent) reported an erosion in institutional power over the past two years. The result is an institutional architecture that exists on paper but has diminishing power in practice. The consequences are visible: less funding for gender equality priorities, less accountability for laws and policies that address women’s needs and weaker implementation of existing commitments.
When women lead, gender-responsive policies are prioritized, institutions are held accountable, and progress is made across all SDGs, including in education, environmental protection, poverty reduction, and more.
Source: UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
