Global Scans · Gender · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving global gender parity will take many decades yet. Read on to understand the trends, challenges and efforts to advance parity at a faster pace.

• [New] Medical circumcision of men reduces their risk of acquiring HIV during heterosexual intercourse by 53%. HIV.gov
• [New] Women are more likely to be in roles at risk of automation, with McKinsey & Company estimating that 160 million women worldwide may need to change jobs through 2030. TheFutureEconomy.ca
• [New] Impact of EU Legislation: The EU Pay Transparency Directive, to be implemented in Sweden, will further strengthen wage transparency and gender pay equity across sectors. 9cv9 Career Blog
• [New] Policy Developments: Sweden is preparing to implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which will: Require mandatory pay reporting by gender. 9cv9 Career Blog
• [New] Economic Exclusion: India ranks 143rd in Economic Participation and Opportunity, with women earning significantly less than men. EDUREV.IN
• [New] Economic exclusion of women poses a risk to India's overall economic potential, with missed opportunities for GDP growth. EDUREV.IN
• [New] In many parts of the world, young girls face disproportionate pressure to marry early, bear children, or abandon education due to gender norms and lack of opportunities. Planet Pulse
• [New] Carcinogenic potential: Studies from India have shown that women with elevated levels of DEHP in their urine face nearly a threefold increased risk of breast cancer. Compass by Rau's IAS
• [New] People at higher risk of HIV, such as gay men and people who inject drugs, are facing record levels of criminalization worldwide. The Guardian
• [New] The expected number of gastric cancer cases attributable to H. pylori infection is higher in women than in men in Africa, whereas the opposite is true for Asia (71% in men versus 61% in women). Nature
• [New] An Irish minister's plan to eradicate nicotine pouches will cost lives and condemn women to deadly cigarettes, warn the harm reduction health experts at Smoke Free Sweden. vapers.org.uk
• [New] DEHP linked to 3 x higher risk of breast cancer in Indian women. Legacy IAS Academy
• [New] Sudanese women are taking enormous risks to communicate human rights violations with little protection or support. The New Humanitarian
• The Winnipeg Sun - Over the last 10 years, the Government of Canada has spent $11.2 billion on overseas gender initiatives, focusing on projects directly targeting gender equality and women's empowerment as outlined in Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy. Citizen Watch Report
• The Taliban's repressive governance, including restrictions on women, could undermine economic and diplomatic momentum. SpecialEurasia
• In Wales, increased risk of mortality was confirmed in Asian / Asian British and Unknown, and increased CVD risk in Asian women and men with unknown ethnicity. Nature
• Oral contraceptives can dramatically reduce women's risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, whereas their effect on lifetime risk of breast cancer is limited. DNyuz
• A Trump administration policy passed by a federal health agency will increase costs and reduce access to gender-affirming care for trans people on private insurance by removing certain protections, effective in 2026. Snopes

Last updated: 17 July 2025