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

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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] The EU pay transparency directive, which member states must implement by 2026, will require employers to provide greater transparency around pay and eliminate gender pay gaps. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] Closing the gender digital divide alone could lift 30 million women out of poverty and add US$ 1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Bernama
• [New] A gender diverse energy sector is vital for driving energy transition and in doing so will enable a more effective and efficient reduction of global carbon emissions. GOV.UK
• [New] When state legislatures in the US criminalise gender-affirming care, they echo morality laws of the junta-run nation of Mali, where both same-sex couples and their tacit neighbours will now be persecuted. Pearls and Irritations
• [New] A thriving, gender-balanced insurance industry fuels growth, mitigates global risks, and underpins every sector that depends on protection, from climate and cyber resilience to infrastructure and health. Insurance Business
• [New] Mexico plans to require employers to adopt measures to reduce and eliminate the gender wage gap. Lewis Silkin
• With digital transformation closely linked to economic development, gender, and geographic circumstances, WTDC-25 will emphasize the digital development needs of the world's least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. ITU
• Closing the gender digital divide could benefit 343 million women and girls globally and lift 30 million people out of poverty by 2050. https://vir.com.vn/
• Even socially liberal legislative bodies like California have passed bills like the Age-Appropriate Design Code that LBGTQ + advocates worry could harm LGBTQ + children by banning discussions of LGBTQ + public events or books that address gender and sexuality at early ages. Brookings
• Closing the gender digital divide alone could lift 30 million women out of poverty and add USD 1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Antara
• Speakers will explore opportunities from multiple angles to align the ecosystem, helping enable Canada to capitalize on the estimated $37 billion economic opportunity created by closing the gender health gap. Femtech Canada
• Through targeted funding and technical assistance, UN Women seeks to expand opportunities for women to influence decision-making, enhance their representation in political institutions, and strengthen gender-responsive governance mechanisms. Global South Opportunities
• UN Women similarly warns of shrinking budgets, reducing the amount of gender-related data available and hindering policymaking. Mexico Business
• Perhaps most disappointing of all is the continued existence of Women and Gender Equality Canada, which will be getting $500 million over the years 2026 to 2030. Multicultural Meanderings
• Around the globe, conservative and populist movements are actively framing progressive gender norms (like LGBTQ + rights, reproductive autonomy, and gender equality) as threats to traditional values, national identity, and social cohesion. Thinking & Working Politically Community of Practice
• Israel had increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians, including forced public stripping and nudity, sexual harassment including threats of rape, as well as sexual assault. BBC News
• Whether lower courts in the SFFA era will follow the Supreme Court's guidance in Virginia and Califano or treat gender-based affirmative action programs with the heightened skepticism supposedly reserved for their race-based programs remains unclear. California Law Review
• The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a highly anticipated ruling upholding a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for minors. Healthcare Dive
• As China continues to host international forums on gender inclusion, all eyes will be on whether Xi's government translates words into action by promoting women into its next leadership cycle. Modern Diplomacy

Last updated: 08 December 2025