Global Scans · Gender · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving global gender parity will take many decades yet. Read on to understand the trends, challenges and efforts to advance parity at a faster pace.

• [New] Legislative work, engagement with the UN on policy development, gender equality, youth engagement, leadership renewal and inter-cooperative collaboration will remain priorities, alongside continued support for cooperatives operating in fragile or crisis-affected contexts. ICA
• [New] As 2026 unfolds, the measure of progress will not lie in the number of conferences held or statements issued, but in whether Nigeria's political institutions are willing to redesign a system that has consistently excluded women from power. Womens News Today
• [New] Women are retiring with far smaller pensions than men because of pay inequalities and the fact they are shouldering the burden of care and the mental load, a study by the University of Edinburgh has warned. The Money Pages
• [New] Thailand was finalising the national action plan on women, peace and security for 2024 to 2027, which would focus on women affected by conflict-affected situations. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] Thailand recognised the important role of women human rights defenders, and they had been identified as a key target group under the national human rights plan. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] The Thai Government promoted universal access to public health services and implemented measures to ensure that vulnerable women, including informal female workers and registered migrant women, could access healthcare. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] Thailand remained a patriarchal society where women were expected to be caregivers while men were seen as leaders, which was reinforced in the media and other avenues. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] There are increased risks of gender-based violence, child marriage and exploitation. Secretary-General
• [New] Generative AI is amplifying digital safety risks for groups like children and women, who are increasingly targeted through impersonation and synthetic image abuse. CNet
• [New] This month, House Republicans passed one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in modern American history, advancing legislation that would criminalize gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth and threaten doctors with severe penalties for providing evidence-based treatment. Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, G
• [New] The White House in 2026 publicized Mount Sinai and Harvard findings suggesting a potential increased risk of autism if women use acetaminophen during pregnancy. Medical Economics
• [New] Indonesia's Ministry of Communications said it is temporarily suspending access to Grok to protect women, children, and the entire community from the risk of fake pornographic content generated using artificial intelligence technology. Business Insider
• [New] From consequential Supreme Court cases and a potential House of Representatives leadership flip to preparations for the United States's 250th anniversary, 2026 is expected to be a critical year - particularly as LGBTQ rights, and transgender rights specifically, remain a focus of national debate. Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, G
• [New] Britain and the other European powers could see earlier demands for female political rights especially if the Napoleonic wars last long enough that after seeing the effectiveness of female soldiers in the French army, they too decide to fight fire with fire and levied women into their armies. alternatehistory.com
• [New] The French government will be even more prone to military coups as female soldiers and veterans will demand political rights for women. alternatehistory.com
• [New] What happened in France might spread to slave women (and men to some extent) in the USA, Caribbean, Brazil ... as antislavery, antiracist, egalitarian and feminist radical movements. alternatehistory.com
• [New] Queensland women are joining forces with scientists to tackle breast and gynaecological cancers as survival disparities and rising diagnoses put thousands at risk. @MaterNews
• [New] Women rights defenders face additional risks online, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence: In a global survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, 38% of women reported personal experience with violence online, from hacking and stalking to image-based sexual abuse. Just Security
• [New] By opening new pathways for participation, leadership and scholarship, the NCAA strengthens its commitment to expanding equitable opportunities for women and embracing the evolution of modern sport. NCAA.org
• [New] Welcoming women's flag football into the Emerging Sports for Women is a meaningful step toward expanding access, equity and opportunity. NCAA.org
• [New] The 50-50 crew rule in The Ocean Race Atlantic will give equal opportunities to the best female and male offshore sailors in the world in a new point to point race format. World Sailing
• [New] The total fertility rate will fall to 1.53 births per woman by 2026, far below the 2.1 level needed to maintain a stable population. / USA Economic Times
• [New] A female prime minister is expected to bring a sense of freshness and novelty capable of revitalising Japan's stagnating political landscape. East Asia Forum

Last updated: 29 January 2026