Unfinished business: Private sector and gender equality – Transforming corporate commitments into equality for all women and girls

Despite growing momentum and investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), private sector efforts remain fragmented and under-measured. The core issue is a lack of systemic accountability, credible data, and meaningful incentives for businesses to embed gender equality across leadership, operations, and supply chains. This has resulted in uneven progress, persistent gaps in women’s representation and economic empowerment, and limited visibility into what works.

This ground-breaking global report provides a global snapshot of progress, gaps, and promising practices in corporate efforts to advance GEWE. It offers critical insights for States, companies, investors, the United Nations, and development partners working to harness the private sector’s full potential to deliver on Sustainable Development Goal 5 and the Beijing+30 Action Agenda. The report offers governments actionable recommendations to strengthen regulatory frameworks, incentivize inclusive practices, and align national strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals.

For companies, the report highlights the business case for equality and calls on them to move beyond compliance toward accountability, transparency, and innovation. At the same time, it provides UN entities with a shared evidence base to inform programming, policy advocacy, and joint initiatives—particularly in crisis response, financing for gender equality, and advancing women’s leadership.