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] 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
• [New] Industry body the GSMA said in its new report over 800 million women from low and middle-income countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, must adopt mobile internet to close the digital gender gap by 2030. Developing Telecoms
• [New] Accelerating investments in care systems, green jobs, education, and social protection could lift 110 million women and girls out of extreme poverty by 2050 and generate US$ 342 trillion in cumulative economic returns. Mexico Business
• [New] Closing the gender digital divide alone could lift 30 million women out of poverty and add US$ 1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Bernama
• [New] The Cotonou Declaration calls for large-scale training to ensure that 20 million people acquire basic digital skills, and that 2 million young people and women benefit from digital jobs or entrepreneurship opportunities. World Bank
• [New] Through targeted funding and technical assistance, UN Women seeks to expand opportunities for women to influence decision-making, enhance their representation in political institutions, and strengthen gender-responsive governance mechanisms. Global South Opportunities
• [New] Women who use a vaginal douche could be at a higher risk of exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] Singapore will impose targeted financial sanctions and entry bans with immediate effect on four Israeli men for their involvement in egregious acts of extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. CNA
• [New] The amount of progestin, a substance resembling the female hormone progesterone, may be the driver in which types of birth control increase breast cancer risk more than others, a study published in JAMA Oncology found. Cancer Today
• [New] Women and girls in conflict zones or living in other vulnerable situations are particularly at risk of experiencing intimate partner and sexual violence. Al Jazeera
• [New] Research funding for women took a fresh step forward, with 65 grants launched to support postgraduate projects that drive education and income generation in Morocco. UAE Business Directory - Find Companies & Listings | UA
• [New] Beyond hiring, AI offers women flexible ways to skill development through personalised learning platforms, virtual mentorship programmes and global networking opportunities. The National

Last updated: 04 December 2025