Gender

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 Introduction to Python for Space Exploration module contains eight units and offers background on NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program, which aims to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.
• The female poverty rate in South Asia will increase in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more women than men in the 25-34 age group will be poorer in the next decade.
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with an estimated 192,000 new cases and 33,000 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States expected in 2020.
• The coronavirus pandemic will widen the poverty gap between women and men, pushing 47 million more women and girls into impoverished lives by next year, and undoing progress made in recent decades.
• Last year, the global market for female-focused health products generated US$820.6M and is estimated to reach at least US$3 B by the end of 2030; Femtech posted US$592.1M in VC investment in 2019, slightly down on 2018's US$ 620.3 million.
• The number of cancer cases in India is estimated to be 13.9 lakh in 2020 and may increase to 15.7 lakh by 2025, with its prevalence being marginally higher among women.
• If all countries in Asia match Singapore's best-in-region standards on gender equality, the region as a whole could get a $4.5 trillion boost by 2025, adding 12% to GDP compared with a business-as-usual trajectory.
• Among women, breast cancer is the most common malignant disease worldwide, accounting for 24% of new cancer cases and 15% of cancer deaths in 2018, and incident cases are expected to increase by more than 46% by 2040.
• The Global System for Mobile Communication estimates that if as many women as men used mobile internet worldwide, the global GDP could rise by $700 billion.
• A huge transfer of assets into the hands of U.S. women is underway, and by 2030 will represent a $30 trillion opportunity for the wealth management sector.
• If women and men participated equally as entrepreneurs, global GDP could rise by as much as $5 trillion.
• In 2020 there will be an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in women, and over 42,000 deaths caused by breast cancer in women.
• By 2100, 183 of 195 countries will have total fertility rates, which represent the average number of children a woman delivers over her lifetime, below replacement level of 2.1 births per woman.
• By taking steps to advance equality for women - such as employing more women in technology and boosting women's participation in the workforce-Canada could add $150 billion to its economy by 2026.
• Estimates show that 13 million more child marriages 89 are expected to take place over the next decade, while 2 million more cases of female genital mutilation are predicted over the next 10 years due to disruption in programmes to end female genital mutilation.
• Even a four-year delay in programmes that promote gender equality, such as advancing women's digital and financial inclusion, would wipe a potential $5 tn from global GDP by 2030.
• The population of sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to triple over the next 80 years, from an estimated 1.03 billion in 2020 to 3.07 billion in 2100 - with death rates lowering and an increasing number of women entering reproductive age.
• By 2100, 183 of 195 countries will have total fertility rates (TFR), which represent the average number of children a woman delivers over her lifetime, below replacement level of 2.1 births per woman.
• If global fertility rates decrease by just 0.5 children per woman, we will have 3.5 billion fewer people by 2100, lessening the impact of climate change.
• Although sub-Saharan Africa's population is projected to soar, its fertility rates are forecast to decline from 4.6 births per woman in 2017 to 1.7 by 2100.
• Taking action now to advance gender equality could be valuable, adding $13 trillion to global GDP in 2030 compared with the gender-regressive scenario.
• The economic turmoil sees families delay or forego family planning decisions and the total fertility rate falls to 1.5 babies per woman by 2023.
• The COVID-19 crisis could double the number of people suffering from acute hunger globally, noting that 60% of the chronically hungry are women and girls.

See full forecast

Last updated: 17 September 2020