The World’s Women 2015: Trends and Statistics

Abstract

UN DESA’s “The World’s Women 2015” reviews global progress and remaining gaps in gender equality 20 years after the Beijing Platform for Action. Drawing on expanded statistical evidence, the report shows that women live longer, marry later, and enjoy nearly universal primary-school access, with girls outperforming boys in two-thirds of countries. Maternal deaths have fallen 45 % since 1990. Yet stark challenges persist: girls still make up over half of the 58 million primary-age children out of school; women constitute two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults; and one-third of women experience physical or sexual violence, much of it unreported. Child marriage, while declining, remains widespread in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Economic disparities endure—only half of working-age women are in the labour force, they earn 70–90 % of men’s wages, and bear the bulk of unpaid care work—exposing lone mothers to heightened poverty. Women hold just 22 % of parliamentary seats and 18 % of ministerial posts, and remain under-represented in senior corporate roles. The findings underscore the urgency of SDG 5: achieving full gender equality and empowering all women and girls as a prerequisite for the 2030 Agenda.