While it’s easy to laugh at these posts, there are still some things that aren’t funny at all. One of the biggest? Gender equality. Even though the world has seen decades of progress, gender equality is still a battle that’s far from won. Depending on where you live, the challenges can vary—access to education, safety, income, or even basic rights. While some countries have built strong frameworks to empower women, others are still caught in outdated norms.
The truth is, equality shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for a few regions. It should be a basic human standard across the globe. But right now, that’s not the reality we’re living in.
In 2022, Denmark topped the Gender Inequality Index, shining as the most gender-equal country in the world. On the flip side, Sudan ranked last, especially after its civil war in 2023 escalated the suffering of women and girls.
In regions like the Middle East and North Africa, the gender gap remains the widest, with experts estimating it could take another 152 years to close. Meanwhile, Europe holds the smallest gender gap globally. These numbers reflect how unevenly progress has been distributed.
One of the biggest and most visible inequalities is still happening in the workplace. Despite similar qualifications and roles, women earn about 83 cents for every dollar men make.
That's the global uncontrolled pay gap as of 2025. Even in 2023, women were still earning less than men doing identical jobs. And no, it's not just about money, it’s about the value we place on women’s work and time. It’s about being recognized, respected, and compensated fairly.
When you look at leadership positions, the gap becomes even more obvious. Globally, only one-third of businesses have a woman in a top leadership role. In government, the numbers are worse: only 17 out of 195 countries have ever had a female head of state. That’s less than 9%. It’s not about ability, it’s about opportunity. The question isn’t whether women can lead. It’s whether they’re being given a fair chance to do so.
Some industries do better than others. Healthcare, for example, has nearly two-thirds of its workforce made up of women. But in industries like oil, gas, mining, and infrastructure, women make up just a little over 20%. That’s not just a statistic, it’s a signal that inclusion is uneven and slow. Representation in all sectors is crucial. You can’t build a world for everyone if half of it isn’t at the table.
Carmen Reinhart of the World Bank said it best, "Women cannot achieve equality in the workplace if they are on an unequal footing at home." Having children shouldn’t derail a woman’s dreams or career. Equal pay, parental leave, childcare support—these aren’t luxury perks, they’re necessities. Because when a system isn’t built to support working women, it quietly pushes them out. And it’s time we stopped letting that slide.
