Global Annual Results Report 2025: Gender equality
Delivering on a bold vision of transformative change for adolescent girls and women everywhere.
About
At a time of escalating conflict, shrinking resources and growing backlash against gender equality, UNICEF and its partners continued to deliver results for girls and women while laying the foundation for longer-term systems change. A 2024 independent evaluation of the UNICEF Gender Policy 2021–2030 and Gender Action Plans 2018–2021 and 2022–2025 confirmed that the organization is on a positive trajectory to advance gender equality, while highlighting the need to sustain momentum and further strengthen implementation.
Over the Strategic Plan, 2022–2025, UNICEF expanded access to essential services and opportunities for girls and women at scale while advancing the policies, systems, and partnerships needed to accelerate gender equality. Progress spanned health, nutrition, education, protection, and adolescent empowerment, alongside greater investment in girls' and women's organizations, and increased efforts to influence national policies and financing for lasting change.
UNICEF also made significant progress in embedding gender equality across its programmes and operations. By 2025, more than half of country offices met the institutional standard for integrating gender equality into country programmes while reflecting gender equality in humanitarian preparedness and response.
In September 2025, UNICEF presented its new Gender Equality Action Plan (UGEAP), 2026–2029, to the Executive Board. Aligned with the Strategic Plan, 2026–2029, the UGEAP sets out a roadmap to accelerate progress for girls and women by scaling proven solutions, strengthening national systems, mobilizing financing, and advancing policies that uphold their rights and empowerment.
Headline results
- More than 275 million girls received nutrition support.
- Over 100 million girls received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- 86 million girls were supported to access education, and 17 million girls participated in skills-building programmes.
- 50 million adolescent girls benefited from child marriage prevention and response interventions.
- US$593 million was transferred to girls' and women's organizations.
