What 20 years of data on the global gender gap reveals

What does 20 years of data on gender equality tell us? In 2026, nearly 70% of the global gender gap has been closed, the highest level recorded. But progress is far from evenly shared. And while women now make up almost half of workers entering the labour force, old patterns of gender inequality remain present in the industries of the future. Two decades after launching the first Global Gender Gap Report, World Economic Forum Managing Director Saadia Zahidi talks us through the findings of the latest report in more detail, and explains how gender parity is a critical foundation of progress worldwide.