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] The EU pay transparency directive, which member states must implement by 2026, will require employers to provide greater transparency around pay and eliminate gender pay gaps. Mishcon de Reya LLP
• [New] The European Commission is drafting its next Gender Equality Strategy through 2030, expected to include measures addressing violence against women, the gender pay gap and working conditions. The Parliament Magazine
• [New] The Nigerian Women Trust Fund has opened its 2026 grant cycle, inviting women-led or women-focused civil-society organizations across Nigeria to submit proposals. Impact Funding
• [New] Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women, with one in eight expected to face a diagnosis in their lifetime and an estimated 1.1 million breast cancer-related deaths projected annually by 2050. Imaging Technology News
• [New] In the hope of also growing its fighting force from 70,000 to 200,000 by 2030, Denmark recently expanded its military conscription programme to include women turning 18 who are entered into a conscription lottery. The Week
• [New] The extreme right is aiming to drive trans people out of public life and even pushing the FBI to designate transgender ideology as violent extremism and a domestic terror threat. Socialist Alternative
• [New] Indigenous women face disproportionate risks and transgender women face rising targeted killings worldwide. UN News
• [New] The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030 is Ireland's plan for advancing gender equality over the next five years. Government of Ireland
• [New] 9.6% of jobs traditionally held by women, such as clerical and administrative roles, are at high risk of automation, compared to only 3.5% for male-dominated occupations. Eurasia Review
• [New] With paid family and medical leave, 3.7 million more women caregivers, 850,000 more Black caregivers, and 1 million more Latinx caregivers could enter the labour force by 2030. The Century Foundation
• [New] With over one billion women projected to be in perimenopause or menopause by 2030, insurers and health systems are beginning to integrate menopause-specific care pathways. FemTech World
• [New] The EmpowHER Fund is a newly launched five-year pooled-fund initiative (2026-2030) offering targeted grant support to women - and girl-led organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to accelerate access to HIV prevention methods among adolescent girls and young women. Impact Funding
• [New] Some sex workers are calling out the lack of transparency in large amounts of viral social media content being targeted at young women, as questions remain about the impact Australia's looming social media ban will have. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Eliminating female genital mutilation by 2030 will require accelerating progress to 27 times the pace of the past decade. RepresentWomen
• [New] Women will hold 40% of seats in Virginia's 140-seat state legislature in 2026, making it more representative than Congress. RepresentWomen
• [New] Having persistently irregular menstrual cycles appears to put women at heightened risk for cardiometabolic conditions including heart attack, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] Elsewhere, scientists in the US, UK and South Africa are investigating whether Lactin-V could protect women at high risk of acquiring HIV. BBC
• [New] About 10 women or girls are killed everyday in Mexico and many live in fear of facing criticism from their partners and relatives. FirstPost
• [New] Restoring the balance between the rate that male and female entrepreneurs start and scale businesses could add £250 billion to the UK economy. GOV.UK
• [New] Only 15% of women are expected to be prepared for leadership roles within the next 0-2 years, representing a decline of three percentage points from the previous year, with 25% projected in the three-five year timeframe. Insurance Business
• [New] AGRA is urging governments, development partners and the private sector to deliver practical finance and policy mechanisms that reinforce resilience across Africa's food systems, while creating meaningful opportunities for youth and women. African farming

Last updated: 11 December 2025