Why Gender Equality Still Eludes Us Despite Decades Of Global Promises
From the United Nations Charter of 1945 to the Sustainable Development Goals of 2015, governments across the world have repeatedly pledged to uphold gender equality.
Yet, as 2025 draws to a close, the lived realities of millions of women and girls tell a far more troubling story: progress has stalled, and in some areas, it is dangerously reversing.
As the world wraps up 2025, it is worth revisiting the long list of promises made by governments since 1945 to advance gender equality and human rights.
The United Nations Charter itself begins with the words “We the peoples” a deliberate affirmation that equal rights of men and women are foundational to global governance.
This commitment was reinforced in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and later cemented in the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1979.
Subsequent milestones, the 1993 UN resolution on eliminating violence against women, the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, have all reiterated the same goal: gender equality, with no one left behind.
Yet, the results remain deeply disappointing.
Violence against women: a damning failure
Despite decades of declarations, there has been virtually no meaningful decline in gender-based violence since 2000.
The annual reduction rate of intimate partner and sexual violence stands at a shocking 0.2 per cent—an outcome widely described as unacceptable.
Speaking at a recent SHE & Rights session, Dr Pam Rajput, feminist leader and former Chair of India’s High-Level Committee on the Status of Women, stressed that violence against women is both a grave human rights violation and a major barrier to sustainable development.
Globally, over 840 million women have experienced violence, with figures doubling in conflict settings. In the past year alone, 316 million women faced physical or sexual violence from intimate partners, while 263 million suffered abuse from non-intimate perpetrators. More than 51,000 femicides were recorded worldwide.
Alarmingly, women in public life are not spared. Studies show that 73 per cent of women journalists have experienced online violence, while 60 per cent of women parliamentarians in the Asia-Pacific region report online gender-based abuse.
Psychological, sexual, economic and even physical violence remain widespread, particularly against younger women, minorities and opposition politicians.
Structural barriers and weak accountability
Experts point to entrenched patriarchy, normalisation of violence, under-investment in gender equality, and gender-insensitive justice systems as key reasons for failure.
While global commitments are renewed annually, most notably through the UN Commission on the Status of Women, they often fail to translate into tangible action at national and local levels.
“There can be no talk of sustainable development when millions of women and girls live under constant threat of violence,” Dr Rajput warned, calling for zero tolerance in both policy and practice, backed by strong accountability from global to grassroots levels.
The gender-based violence-HIV nexus
Gender-based violence also heightens vulnerability to HIV and other infections.
According to Nigerian gender advocate Esther Asuquo, violence restricts women’s ability to negotiate safer sex and exposes them to forced sex and trauma, reinforcing cycles of stigma, discrimination and poor health outcomes.
Period poverty: a silent crisis
Another glaring failure is the persistence of period poverty. Millions of girls lack access to safe menstrual products, sanitation and accurate information, forcing them to miss school or resort to unsafe practices.
In parts of Africa, girls use soil, sand or other harmful materials, increasing the risk of infections, sexual exploitation and school dropout. In Uganda alone, one in four girls reportedly leaves school after menstruation begins.
Advocates stress the need to normalise conversations around menstruation, provide safe sanitation facilities and end stigma if girls are to live with dignity and equal opportunity.
Looking to 2026 and beyond
As the world moves towards 2026, there is growing recognition that gender inequality is deeply intertwined with patriarchy, economic injustice, fundamentalism, militarisation and weak development models.
Many believe that only a feminist, rights-based and accountable global order can deliver on SDG 5, SDG 3 and the broader promise of sustainable development.
The question remains: will governments finally move beyond rhetoric to real, measurable action?
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