A numbers game
Key stats that show how unfair much of the world is to women
From the number of countries in the world that do not provide paid maternity leave to the percentage drop in women's household income after a divorce
340 000
The number of deaths from cervical cancer in 2020, 90% of which were in low- and middle-income countries. The HPV vaccine is over 99% successful at preventing 70% of cervical cancers.
26 000 000
The number of unsafe abortions that have been avoided in the world’s poorest countries thanks to contraceptive use.
33
The percentage drop in women’s household income after a divorce — nearly double that of men.
1 in 4
The number of girls around the world who are married before their 18th birthday.
82
The percentage of pyramid-scheme members who are women. Over 73% of participants don’t make — or lose — money from them.
1983
The year Sally Ride became the first woman in space.
60
The percentage of chronically hungry people who are women and girls.
8
The number of countries in the world that do not provide paid maternity leave, one of which is the US.
9
The number of the 10 top-paying jobs that pay women less than men — speech pathology is the only exception.
113
The number of countries that do not have laws ensuring equal pay for equal work on the grounds of gender.
1987
The year that Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
800
The number of women who die daily from preventable complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
155
The number of economies reviewed by the World Bank that have at least one law limiting the economic opportunities of women.