Gender equality is not moving at the same speed across work, safety, pay, and opportunity. Even in 2025, the EU’s unadjusted gender pay gap is still averaging 12.7%, while women face major risks and barriers that start long before adulthood. We pull together key, country level indicators on work, violence, education, and leadership to show exactly where progress stalls and where it accelerates.
Key Takeaways
- 22.1% of employed women worldwide were in informal employment in 2023 (men: 23.4%)
- In 2023, the gender gap in unemployment rate in OECD countries was 1.1 percentage points (OECD)
- In 2021, women were 42% of the workforce in public administration and defense (ILO/ILO modelled estimate published by ILOSTAT)
- 77% of women reported they would be unwilling to report workplace sexual harassment if it occurred, in an OECD survey fielded during 2018–2019
- Across 140 countries, the proportion of women who have experienced intimate partner violence is 27% (WHO)
- As of 2024, 27 countries still have no laws criminalizing domestic violence against women (UN Women, global database summary)
- 20% of senior management roles are held by women in OECD countries (2019 baseline; women in senior roles)
- Women’s estimated share of executive officer positions was 8.5% globally in 2022 (S&P Global Market Intelligence)
- Gender pay gap in the European Union averaged 12.7% for 2023 (unadjusted)
- Women constitute 49% of the world’s population but account for 34% of agricultural landholders (FAO)
- Women and girls are 14.4% more likely than men to experience food insecurity at moderate severity in 2023 (FAO, gender-and-food-security analysis)
- Globally, 41.2% of women aged 20–24 were married or in union before age 18 in 2022 (UNICEF/UNFPA/UN Women estimates)
- Women made up 33% of the AI workforce in the US in 2022 (Stanford AI Index, based on surveys)
- In 2023, women were 40% of data scientist and analytics roles in OECD countries (McKinsey Global Gender Parity Initiative analysis based on survey)
- In 2023, women accounted for 31% of the venture-backed startup founders in the US (PitchBook annual founder data)
Progress on gender equality remains uneven, with major gaps in pay, leadership, violence reporting, and health outcomes.
Related reading
Labor Force
122.1% of employed women worldwide were in informal employment in 2023 (men: 23.4%)[1]
Single source
2In 2023, the gender gap in unemployment rate in OECD countries was 1.1 percentage points (OECD)[2]
Verified
3In 2021, women were 42% of the workforce in public administration and defense (ILO/ILO modelled estimate published by ILOSTAT)[3]
Verified
4In 2024, 47% of women in the OECD were in part-time employment vs 13% of men (OECD)[4]
Verified
Labor Force Interpretation
Within the labor force, women face a clear disadvantage as shown by higher informal employment in 2023 (22.1% for women versus 23.4% for men), a persistent unemployment gender gap in OECD countries (1.1 percentage points in 2023), and much greater part-time work in 2024 (47% of women versus 13% of men).
Workplace Safety
177% of women reported they would be unwilling to report workplace sexual harassment if it occurred, in an OECD survey fielded during 2018–2019[5]
Verified
Workplace Safety Interpretation
In workplace safety terms, 77% of women in an OECD 2018–2019 survey said they would be unwilling to report workplace sexual harassment, signaling a major reporting gap that threatens accountability and protection.
More related reading
Governance And Rights
1Across 140 countries, the proportion of women who have experienced intimate partner violence is 27% (WHO)[6]
Directional
2As of 2024, 27 countries still have no laws criminalizing domestic violence against women (UN Women, global database summary)[7]
Verified
Governance And Rights Interpretation
Across 140 countries, 27% of women have experienced intimate partner violence, and as of 2024, 27 countries still have no domestic violence laws criminalizing it, showing a clear governance and rights gap in protecting women.
Leadership And Pay
120% of senior management roles are held by women in OECD countries (2019 baseline; women in senior roles)[8]
Verified
2Women’s estimated share of executive officer positions was 8.5% globally in 2022 (S&P Global Market Intelligence)[9]
Verified
3Gender pay gap in the European Union averaged 12.7% for 2023 (unadjusted)[10]
Directional
4US gender pay gap: women earned 82 cents for every $1 earned by men in 2023 (median weekly earnings, full-time workers)[11]
Verified
5The global gender gap score for health outcomes was 96% in 2024 (WEF)[12]
Verified
Leadership And Pay Interpretation
Across leadership and pay, women still hold only 20% of senior management roles in OECD countries and just 8.5% of executive officer positions globally, while gender pay gaps remain sizable with 12.7% on average in the EU and women earning 82 cents to every $1 earned by men in the US.
More related reading
Education And Health
1Women constitute 49% of the world’s population but account for 34% of agricultural landholders (FAO)[13]
Directional
2Women and girls are 14.4% more likely than men to experience food insecurity at moderate severity in 2023 (FAO, gender-and-food-security analysis)[14]
Verified
3Globally, 41.2% of women aged 20–24 were married or in union before age 18 in 2022 (UNICEF/UNFPA/UN Women estimates)[15]
Verified
4In 2023, 19.1 million girls and women needed humanitarian protection and services for gender-based violence (UNHCR)[16]
Verified
5The global gender gap in educational attainment for women and men was 9% in 2023 (World Bank Human Capital Index gender components as reported by World Bank)[17]
Verified
Education And Health Interpretation
In Education And Health, progress is uneven as women and girls face health and wellbeing risks alongside schooling gaps, including 14.4% higher odds of moderate food insecurity in 2023 and a 9% global education attainment gender gap that underscores why gender inequalities persist.
Industry And Tech
1Women made up 33% of the AI workforce in the US in 2022 (Stanford AI Index, based on surveys)[18]
Verified
2In 2023, women were 40% of data scientist and analytics roles in OECD countries (McKinsey Global Gender Parity Initiative analysis based on survey)[19]
Verified
3In 2023, women accounted for 31% of the venture-backed startup founders in the US (PitchBook annual founder data)[20]
Verified
4Women held 28% of senior roles in the technology sector in a 2023 global survey by the World Economic Forum[21]
Single source
5In 2022, women were 45% of the workforce in healthcare and social assistance in OECD countries (OECD Employment database)[22]
Verified
Industry And Tech Interpretation
Across Industry and Tech, women remain underrepresented in key roles but show uneven participation, from 33% of the US AI workforce and 28% of senior technology roles to stronger presence at 40% of data scientist and analytics roles in OECD countries and 45% in healthcare and social assistance in the OECD.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Gender Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Gender Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gender-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Gender Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gender-statistics.
References
- 1ilostat.ilo.org/topics/informality/
- 3ilostat.ilo.org/topics/employment/
- 2oecd.org/gender/data/gender-equality-indicators/
- 5oecd.org/employment/emp/Policy-Brief-Employment-and-Gender.pdf
- 8oecd.org/gender/data/gender-equality-at-a-glance-2021.pdf
- 4stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EAG_LFS_PS
- 22stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EAG_ARE
- 6who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
- 7unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures
- 9spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/board-diversity-report
- 10ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Gender_pay_gap_statistics
- 11census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html
- 12www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2024.pdf
- 13fao.org/publications/card/en/c/cb6467en/
- 14fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1628144/
- 15data.unicef.org/resources/child-marriage-global-database/
- 16unhcr.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/unhcr-global-report-2022.pdf
- 17worldbank.org/en/topic/gender/brief/gender-and-education
- 18aiindex.stanford.edu/report/
- 19mckinsey.com/featured-insights/women-in-the-workplace
- 20pitchbook.com/news/reports/women-led-companies-investment-trends-2023
- 21weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2023