UN Women warns gender equality in leadership is losing ground

UN Women has warned that advances in women’s political leadership are being reversed in many countries, arguing that the international system cannot effectively deliver on peace, development and human rights without women having equal access to positions of power.

The agency said its 2026 Gender Snapshot, to be released on September 17 in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), will show that progress on women’s leadership has stalled globally and is being rolled back at different levels of political power in a number of countries.

The warning came ahead of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81), which opened on September 8 against a backdrop of a record number of conflicts, limited progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what the UN agency described as an organized backlash against the rights of women and girls.

The report is regarded as a major global source of data on gender equality and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year’s edition will examine women’s participation in leadership and political decision-making.

UN Women said the findings will emphasize that achieving gender equality in leadership goes beyond simply increasing the number of women in political institutions. It also requires ensuring that women have the same opportunities to hold positions where they can exercise genuine authority and influence.

The report is due to be released ahead of the UNGA High-Level Week, which will run from September 22 to 26 and bring together heads of state and government, ministers and civil society representatives in New York.

The issue has gained additional significance as UN Member States begin the process of selecting the organization’s 10th Secretary-General. No woman has held the position during the UN’s 81-year history.

As part of UNGA 81 activities, UN Women and UN DESA will unveil the Gender Snapshot at a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on September 17.

UN Women will also take part in the annual meeting of the UNGA Platform of Women Leaders on September 23. The closed-door gathering, co-hosted by the President of the General Assembly and the Executive Director of UN Women, will focus on the theme “Women’s leadership in restoring trust and managing transformation for a United Nations that delivers for all.”

The meeting will examine measures to speed up implementation of the 2030 Agenda by ensuring women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in leadership, promoting gender-responsive policymaking and financing, and building more inclusive and accountable forms of global governance.

By Nazrin Sadigova