Our Scans · (LF.5) Gender Equality · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.

• [New] Starting in April 2026, Australian employers with 500 or more employees will be required to select and work towards specific gender equality targets. Australian HR Institute
• [New] Gender Pay Gap Reporting and Pay Equity: Workplace gender equity will face greater scrutiny in 2026. Winter Workplace Consulting
• [New] White House officials told anti-abortion leaders in a Thursday briefing that they will soon announce a policy blocking U.S. funding for organizations that work abroad on issues related to gender identity and diversity -. Politico
• [New] Elections Canada will continue to apply a GBA Plus lens to strengthen inclusiveness across its policies and services, ensuring that programs and service delivery reflect gender equality and an intersectional approach. Elections Canada
• [New] Gender-responsive approaches must be mainstreamed across all Global Gateway interventions, ensuring that women participate in decision-making, benefit equitably from employment opportunities, and are protected from risks associated with large infrastructure projects. ISI
• [New] UN Women notes estimates that closing the gender digital divide would improve the lives of 343.5 million women and girls, generate approximately US $ 1.5 trillion dollars by 2030, and lift 30 million out of poverty by 2050. Women's World Banking
• Addressing gender disparities in labour force participation could raise gross domestic product by up to 20% in some economies - making gender equality not a social aspiration, but the foundation of a stronger, more resilient global economy. OMFIF
• UN Women prioritizes investments that demonstrate measurable impact on women's economic opportunities and strengthen the broader ecosystem of gender equality advocates operating throughout Moldova's diverse regions. Impact Funding
• The GAP IV will set the EU vision for promoting gender equality and women's empowerment as a strategic priority in all external actions, in an increasingly fragile global environment. Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood
• 38% of AI-driven recruitment tools could perpetuate gender or ethnic biases if not carefully monitored. Accurate Legal Billing
• Canada Soccer is committed to advancing gender equity by increasing participation and quality leadership opportunities for women and girls at all levels of the game. Canada Soccer
• Closing gender gaps in the labour force could lift GDP by between 15 and 20% in many economies - and by up to 50% in the MENA region and South Asia. Atlantic Council
• Despite earlier designating menstrual hygiene as fundamental under the right to live and the right to free and compulsory education, a fresh Supreme Court judgement concluded that a mandatory menstrual leave law could reinforce gender stereotypes and harm women's employment prospects. NewsGram
• The Supreme Court dismissed a PIL seeking a nationwide menstrual leave policy, saying a mandatory law could reinforce gender stereotypes and harm women's career prospects. NewsGram
• By building knowledge and skills, deepening leadership capacity, and centering intersectionality and inclusion, UN Women seeks to help unlock the potential of youth, especially young women, to contribute to a growing regional movement for inclusive, gender-responsive peace and security. UN Women - Asia-Pacific
• Coherent gender mainstreaming will require meaningful consultation and inclusion of women's rights organizations and feminist movements from across the Global South, which will provide indispensable policy expertise. Bond | The international development network
• There is a national campaign to improve gender diversity in policing called 30×30, which has the goal of increasing the number of female recruits to 30% by 2030. Public Policy Institute of California
• UNICEF has warned that in low-income countries around 90% of adolescent girls and young women do not use the internet, underscoring the risk of a widening gender gap in opportunity as economies digitise. TechAfrica News
• 1.2 billion young people will enter the workforce over the next decade, making gender equality a vital economic necessity rather than just a social goal. Thailand Business News
• Closing gender gaps in agriculture could raise global GDP by one trillion dollars. IMUNA | NHSMUN | Model UN
• Women were slightly more affected by AI, though differences by gender were not statistically significant, while younger workers in Viet Nam faced higher automation risk than their counterparts in Lao PDR. SpringerLink

Last updated: 25 May 2026