// ECONOMIC SECURITY: GENDER EQUALITY
Gender equality at a crossroads: accelerating change, moving beyond resistance D espite decades of commit- ments and measurable progress, gender inequality remains deeply
Progress on gender equality has been uneven, with structural barriers and rising anti-rights movements threatening to slow results. The G7 must act now to translate commitments into systemic change across policy, technology and economic frameworks Catherine Ladousse, member, Gender Equality Task Force, and member, Haut Conseil à l’Égalité entre les femmes et les hommes
of CEO roles. In emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, women repre- sent just 22% of the workforce and hold less than 14% of the leadership positions, with persistent gaps in science, technol- ogy, engineering and mathematics. These inequalities are not only unjust; they are also economically and politi- cally costly. Closing gender gaps could increase global gross domestic prod- uct by more than 20%. Gender-based violence alone represents a significant economic burden in many countries. BACKLASH AND THE RISE OF ANTI-RIGHTS MOVEMENTS A key factor is the growing backlash against gender equality. Organised anti- rights movements are gaining influence, with significant financial resources esti- mated at $1.8 billion in Europe between 2019 and 2023. They are actively chal- lenging policies and narratives support- ing women’s rights. This backlash is also cultural and digital. The rise of masculinist ideolo- gies documented in the latest report of France’s Haut Conseil à l’Égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, and the normalisation of sexist content, particu-
entrenched within both developed and developing economies. As the G7 pre- pares to meet this year in Évian under France’s presidency, this paradox must be addressed with urgency: why, in a world of unprecedented technologi- cal and economic transformation, are advances towards gender equality still so slow and even regressing in some cases?
PERSISTENT INEQUALITIES IN A TRANSFORMING WORLD
Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, progress has been real but uneven. Legislative frame- works, such as quotas and pay equity laws, have driven change in several G7 countries, improving women’s access to education and leadership. Yet structural inequalities persist across all sectors. Globally, women still earn less than men, carry out 2.5 times more unpaid care work, and remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Only 27% of parlia- mentarians worldwide are women. In the private sector, they hold around 25% of leadership positions and less than 10%
62 // G7 FRANCE: THE ÉVIAN SUMMIT 2026
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