Statement at the 2025 HLPF General Debate

High-Level Political Forum 
“General Debate” 
Wednesday, 23 July 2025 
Statement by International IDEA

Excellencies, 

International IDEA stands firm in its conviction that gender equality is essential for democracy, and democracy is essential for gender equality. One simply cannot thrive without the other. Yet today, we are witnessing a disturbing decline in several indicators of both, threatening hard-won gains secured over decades of struggle.

Ten years ago, the 2030 Agenda recognized that the achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals depends on the full and equal participation of women in society. The vision then was clear: a just and inclusive world demands women’s equal voice in political and economic decision-making. 

While slow and uneven, progress has indeed been made—global gender equality scores have risen by 2% since 2015. Within this overall trend lie important differences. Data from International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy Indices shows that democracies consistently outperform authoritarian regimes on gender equality. Only 3% of democracies perform very poorly on gender measures, compared to 50% of authoritarian regimes. This shows clearly that democratic systems are better equipped to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all.

However, despite the gains, the evidence underlines the scale of the challenge ahead. Women still hold only 27% of parliamentary seats worldwide and 35% of local government positions . Meanwhile, gender-based violence and harassment in politics have surged in the last decade. The problem is compounded by a lack of regulations in the digital space, which has negatively affected women running for political positions. 

The surge of conflicts around the world has also increased gender-based violence, including sexual violence, which has risen by 50% since 2022 .

A new report by International IDEA  also shows that women’s freedom of discussion has decreased by 25 per cent since 2015. This global decline has been driven by a combination of rising authoritarianism, online and offline gender-based harassment, shrinking civic space and increased censorship targeting feminist voices, especially in contexts where women’s rights are framed as politically threatening or culturally subversive. Moreover, women’s access to justice has dropped by 12.5% globally, with institutional biases and impunity being the driving forces behind this decline.

Despite these negative trends, International IDEA’s report shows that several factors have contributed to the increase in Gender Equality scores in some countries, including the implementation of gender quotas in politics, the introduction of constitutional and legal reforms, and the adoption of new gender equality laws.  
Excellencies,

The interdependence of gender equality and democratic governance is clear. Where democracy erodes, women’s rights are often among the first casualties. Yet let us be clear: the emancipation of women will not stop. Neither will the quest for more diverse, equitable, and inclusive societies. Each one of us must decide our role in the irresistible march towards the equality and dignity of all human beings. 

International IDEA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to this cause. We will continue to work alongside the UN, Member States, and civil society to protect and advance gender equality and democracy as mutually reinforcing goals and as the cornerstone for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.