2025 is a pivotal year for women and girls. If current trends continue, 351 million women and girls will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5—to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls—will be missed. This is not inevitable: it would be a political outcome, shaped by systemic neglect, stalled investments, and a retreat from equality. But the data also makes it clear that a different path is still possible.

Produced by UN Women and UN DESA, the “2025 Gender snapshot” is the world’s leading publication on gender equality and the SDGs. Drawing from more than 100 data sources, it tracks progress on gender equality across all 17 SDGs. With five years to go, the report offers both a warning and a way forward. It also  identifies six priority areas for accelerated delivery, including two with costed investment pathways on digital inclusion and freedom from poverty.

UNEP-DHI contributions:

The UNEP-DHI Centre contributed to the 2025 Gender Snapshot conclusions for SDG 6 on sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Based on the findings of the Policy Note on Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Water Resource Management, around 14% of countries still lack adequate systems for integrating gender considerations into water management. Addressing gender disparities in cross-border water governance remains uncommon. There is an urgent need for focused initiatives to ensure women’s access and involvement. Nonetheless, promising developments are emerging—such as in Southern Africa, where regional water bodies are beginning to incorporate gender perspectives. A notable example is the Limpopo Basin Commission’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy (2021–2025).

Read more about the status of gender equality and women’s rights implementation through the SDGs in the full report.