Global Scans · Gender · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving global gender parity will take many decades yet. Read on to understand the trends, challenges and efforts to advance parity at a faster pace.

• [New] Heart Disease: New projections from the American Heart Association estimate that 6 in 10 women will develop heart disease or stroke by 2050, and that nearly one-third of girls ages 2-19 will have obesity, a top driver of cardiovascular disease. NIHCM
• [New] Women who used fertility treatments had no higher overall risk of invasive cancer than other women, a large Australian study led by researchers from UNSW Sydney has found. UNSW Sites
• [New] AI-generated deepfake abuse is emerging as a serious global threat, with women and girls disproportionately affected by non-consensual and harmful digital content. Digital Watch Observatory
• [New] As 1.2 Billion women move into post-menopausal life stages by 2030, companies like Gameto (cellular engineering for ovarian health) and Alloy (menopause relief) are attracting significant Series A and Series C capital. Nelson Advisors Blog
• [New] MediShield Life and MediSave will cover risk-reducing surgeries for eligible women with HBOC from late 2026, enhancing financial support for preventive measures. ST
• [New] Over 1 billion women do not have access to safely managed water services, and 380 million live in areas of high or critical water stress, a number that could rise significantly by 2050. Smart Water Magazine
• [New] The combined force has severely suppressed or destroyed local Iranian anti-air capabilities, including anti-aircraft guns, and man-portable air-defense systems that could presumably return fire on a jet at low altitude. Critical Threats
• [New] At the current pace of progress, it will take more than 280 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove sex and gender discriminatory laws. Candid
• [New] Closing gender gaps in labour force participation and management in OECD countries alone could add $7 trillion to global output. Candid
• [New] Achieving gender equality in Europe will not be possible unless the rights of women and girls with disabilities are fully recognised and protected. European Disability Forum
• [New] Nearly 6 in 10 women in the United States could have some form of cardiovascular disease within the next 25 years, with some of the steepest projected increases among American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic and multiracial women and girls. For Your Health News
• [New] New breast cancer cases in women are predicted to rise by a third globally, from 2.3m in 2023 to more than 3.5m in 2050. The Guardian
• [New] Heart disease and stroke rates in women may surge by over a third by 2050, urging immediate prevention efforts. wcnc.com
• [New] Today, the global gender gap is 68.8% closed, and at the current pace it could take over 120 years to reach full parity. Generali
• [New] More than 2.4 billion women and girls live in countries with poor or very poor gender equality scores, and current trends suggest that global gender equality targets will not be achieved by 2030. Generali
• [New] Initiatives like the Global 50×50 Initiative, powered by the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and ISC2, reflect that commitment, working toward a future where women represent 50% of the cybersecurity workforce by 2050. vmblog.com
• [New] Progress on gender diversity is under threat, with US companies scaling back DEI programmes, the gender pay gap widening for two consecutive years, and female board appointments dropping to decade lows. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] According to the UN Women Gender Snapshot, closing the gender digital divide could boost global GDP by $1.5 trillion and lift 30 million women out of poverty - that is the scale of the opportunity we are talking about. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• [New] The current progress toward gender equality will take about 134 years to achieve complete gender parity, exceeding the 2030 global equality targets. MOCHA TECHNOLOGIES INC
• [New] The national strategy on gender equality for the 2021-2030 period set a goal of the proportion of female directors / owners of enterprises and cooperatives to reach at least 27% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Vietnam Economic Times
• [New] The percentage of women with at least one type of cardiovascular disease is projected to climb by more than a third, from 10.7% in 2020 to 14.4% in 2050, driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, especially among younger women. National Today

Last updated: 26 March 2026