Globally, 40% of women and girls live in countries where levels of discrimination in social institutions are high or very high; and in 18 countries, levels of discrimination in social institutions are very high.

Although the SIGI global average score is 29, denoting a low level of discrimination, situations are very diverse with ample variation across and within regions.

In Europe and the Americas, SIGI scores respectively attain 14 and 21, denoting very low and low levels of discrimination. In Asia and Africa however, SIGI scores reach 37 and 40 respectively, indicating medium and high level of discrimination.

Between 2019 and 2023, more and more countries around the world have tackled discriminatory social institutions, notably through legal reforms that protect women’s rights and grant them equal opportunities.

Changes in social norms have resulted in both progress and setbacks; the acceptance of intimate-partner violence is decreasing, and attitudes towards women’s leadership in the economic and political spheres are improving.

But other problematic views persist;  biases related to women’s economic empowerment seem to be worsening, with an increase in the belief that men should have more rights to a job when employment is scarce, and in views that woman earning more than her husband can be a problem.  

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are human rights, global health imperatives, and a necessity for inclusive development. Yet, discriminatory laws and social norms are depriving millions of women and adolescents of these rights, with dire health consequences. Crises, conflicts, and the political backlash against gender equality in several countries further limit access and deepen inequalities.