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] 85% of FemTech companies have a female founder, yet only 4% of investment globally goes to women-founded start-ups, and so emerging FemTech companies backed by females will benefit from being able to stake a claim and become more attractive to investors in the attempt to secure funding. Med-Tech Insights
• [New] Removing barriers that prevent women from accessing jobs could boost GDP per capita by 20 to 30% in economies like Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan. World Bank
• [New] The average white American woman born in that year can reasonably expect to live to the age of 78. Business Insider
• [New] In 2025, an estimated 316,950 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and an additional 59,080 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
• [New] Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in New York, and it is estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their life. NYSenate.gov
• [New] By 2040, the prevalence of hypertension worldwide is expected to be higher in the male population than in female. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The female population in the Netherlands is expected to experience the largest decline by 2040 which corroborates with a report by the World Health Organisation, where a substantial reduction in hypertension prevalence began in the year 2000 with a further decline by 2025. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Vanuatu (30.3%) is projected to have the highest male hypertension prevalence in Oceania. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] 51.5% of Oklahoma women and 46% of men will experience sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. Oklahoma Attorney General (049)
• [New] 88% of women feel 'somewhat threatened' travelling alone in the UK and Europe. Travel PR News
• [New] Bank of England's CFO Afua Kyei tops 2026 Powerlist, breaking barriers in British finance and inspiring African women in leadership. Arbiterz
• The Scottish Government's Women and Girls Fund will deliver grants to women and girl-led organizations across Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia, aiming to contribute to the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The Scottish Government
• Closing the 25% gap in health outcomes for women will add $1 trillion in annual global GDP by 2040. Hello Tomorrow
• 79% of jobs held by women face automation risk, compared to 58% for men. / USA Yahoo Finance
• By 2025, one billion women within the worldwide female population will be experiencing menopause. FoodNavigator-Asia.com
• Female representation is steadily increasing, and experts predict that by 2030, the gender ratio could reach 1:1 as more diverse communities continue to join. The Social Shepherd
• In 2025, an estimated 316,000 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and an additional 59,000 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. Yahoo News
• Through the Menstrual Leave Policy 2025, women employees across Karnataka will now receive one paid leave day every month - a step towards a more humane, understanding and inclusive workspace, the Chief Minister shared in a post on X. The Star
• The loss of Bangladesh's competitiveness could redirect global production toward cheaper, less compliant destinations, undoing decades of progress on safety, gender equality, and labour rights. Global Policy Journal
• Consider that Saudi Arabia has driven a remarkable rise in women entering the workforce - from 18% in 2010 to 36% now, and likely to reach 40% ahead of 2030; however, there is also a need for more local worker training (and retraining). KKR
• By 2050, the global number of women with MSK disorders is expected to exceed 505 million, showing a significant increase of approximately 105.87% compared to the 2021 baseline (around 245 million). Nature

Last updated: 30 October 2025