Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2026

This annual report from UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) provides a comprehensive analysis of gender equality progress across the Sustainable Development Goals, and can help you to better understand how the world is progressing for women and girls across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing from more than 100 data sources, it highlights trends in extreme poverty, food insecurity, violence, and more, and explains how the vulnerability of women and girls will be exacerbated by growing - and reinforcing - environmental and social crises. Notably, it highlights how progress in women's political leadership is losing momentum after years of upward movement; that persistent power gaps continue to define women's corporate leadership; and that funding for gender equality has fallen to its lowest level since 2021, with funding for women’s rights organisations being the most impacted. It also highlights that when women lead, gender-responsive policies are prioritised, institutions are held accountable, and progress is made across all SDGs, including in education, environmental protection, poverty reduction, and more. This report will be of particular benefit to sustainability and strategy professionals who want to better align their company's positions, goals, and actions with the work that must be done to advance gender equality globally.