UN Women report:
“The latest major report by UN Women reveals a widening gender gap in social protection, which includes policies such as cash benefits, unemployment support, pensions, and health care, leaving women and girls more vulnerable to poverty.
The report shows that two billion women and girls do not have access to any form of social protection. Although social protection levels have improved since 2015, the coverage gap between men and women has widened in most developing regions, indicating that men have primarily benefited from recent gains.
The report paints a bleak picture of maternity protection worldwide. Despite progress, more than 63 percent of women worldwide lack access to maternity benefits.
The report highlights the disproportionate impact of poverty on women and girls. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by poverty throughout their lives, with the largest gaps occurring during their reproductive years. Women aged 25 to 34 are 25 percent more likely to live in extreme poverty than men of the same age, and this disparity is exacerbated by conflict and climate change.
The report shows that the risks and vulnerabilities women face are often overlooked after shocks. For example, the extremely high inflation since 2022—which has resulted in escalating food and energy prices—has particularly affected women. Yet, of the nearly 1,000 social protection measures taken by governments in 171 countries in the subsequent months, only 18 percent focused on improving women’s economic security.
