Alarming UNDP report shows that the world is completely off-track in achieving gender equality by 2030

13-06-2023

Roza Cseby

Women’s Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

The UNDP’s yearly Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) report, published on the 12th of June, revealed persistent biases against women globally, with nearly 9 out of 10 men and women holding fundamental biases against women today. The report found that 50% of individuals across 80 countries hold the belief that men are better political leaders and 40% of respondents expressed the view that men outperform women in the field of business executive roles. Alarmingly, the study also found that a significant portion, approximately 25%, of respondents feel that it is justified for a man to beat his wife (Ahmed, 2023).

First introduced in the 2019 Human Development Report, Gender Social Norms Index (later GSNI) differs from achievement-based gender equality measures as it captures beliefs on gender equality in capabilities and rights and thus, it offers a detailed exploration of the underlying factors responsible for gender inequality, acting as obstacles to the advancement of women and girls (GSNI, 2023). The calculation of the 2023 GSNI was based on data from wave 6 (2010–2014) or wave 7 (2017–2022) of the World Values Survey, accounting for 85% of the global population (UNDP, 2023). It captured people’s attitudes on women’s roles along four key dimensions - political, educational, economic and physical integrity - with the following results:

• Only 27% believe that having the same rights between men and women is essential for democracy and 49% believe men make better political leaders than women
• 28%  believe university is more important for men than for women 
• 46% believe men should have more rights to a job than women and 43% believe men make better business executives than women
• Shockingly, 25% find it justifiable for a man to beat his wife and 58% believe that abortion is never justifiable (UN News, 2023).

The report also highlights that biased social norms continue to hinder women's chances in politics, business, and work, leading to the violation of their rights and human rights abuses. For example, it reveals that only 11% of heads of state and 9% of heads of government are women and explains how women’s incomes are impacted by a “child penalty,” arising from social expectation that women devote more time to child care than men. Despite progress in women’s education, there is still a 39% salary gap with men, suggesting that the gender gaps in economic empowerment are not only dependent on educational attainment but also on social norms and gender stereotypes (GSNI, 2023). 

Over the past decade, it is evident that gender social norms have remained persistent, as indicated by the lack of significant change in GSNI (Gender Social Norms Index) values and the fact that the global Gender Inequality Index (GII) value, UNDP’s composite measure of gender inequality in empowerment, has remained stagnant since 2019. What is more, in various countries, there has been a rollback of women’s rights, particularly evident in Afghanistan, but also witnessed in the Western world with the election of Donald Trump or the rise of domestic violence followed by the Covid-19 pandemic. These setbacks are occurring within the context of a human development crisis, marked by the unprecedented decline of the global HDI value in 2020, which was further worsened in the subsequent year (Ahmed, 2023).

Although the chronic bias against women and the lack of progress in achieving gender inequality and thus the SDG 5 is alarming, the report also acknowledges signs of progress, such as women’s increased education rates or the growing perception that men can participate equally in childcare (GSNI, 2023). 

Finally, the report suggests two key blocks of action: leveraging gender-responsive policies and institutions (strengthening social protection systems, addressing gender misinformation) and changing the social context through education that strengthens agency and encourages women to shape their own future. The 2023 GSNI report alarms the world to take immediate steps to fight against backlash in gender equality because “social norms that impair women’s voice and participation are not only detrimental to women themselves but also to society more broadly” (GSNI, 2023). However, hopes remain high as “the younger part of the population clearly resents this backlash and is striving for an equal society” - said Heidi Stöckl, a professor specialising in gender-based violence at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Ahmed, 2023).

Sources and further readings:

Ahmed, K. (2023, June 12). Nine out of 10 people are biased against women, says “alarming” UN report. Women’s rights and gender equality | The Guardian. Retrieved June 13, 2023, from https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jun/12/nine-out-of-10-people-are-biased-against-women-says-alarming-un-report 

UNDP (2023, June 12). 2023 Gender Social Norms Index: Breaking Down Gender Biases, Shifting social norms towards gender equality. Retrieved June 13, 2023, from https://hdr.undp.org/content/2023-gender-social-norms-index-gsni?_gl=1*1xuxol0*_ga*MjAxMTYzNjQ1Ny4xNjc3MzU1MzMy*_ga_3W7LPK0WP1*MTY4NjY3NDgxOC44LjEuMTY4NjY3ODA0Mi41My4wLjA.#/indicies/GSNI 

UN News (2023, June 12). New UN report reveals chronic bias against women over last decade. Retrieved June 13, 2023, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137532 

UNDP (2023). Gender Social Norms Index. Retrieved June 13, 2023, from https://hdr.undp.org/gender-social-norms-index