On the heels of the 2024 Mid-Term Review (MTR), and as Phase II of the Women Count nears completion in 2025, this annual report underscores the programme’s many tangible results and impacts to date, particularly in bolstering the enabling environment as well as the production and use of data in areas such as violence against women and girls (VAWG), women’s economic empowerment (WEE), gender-responsive governance and participation, women, peace and security and humanitarian action (WPS-HA), and gender and the environment.

These are areas where gender-specific data have long been scarce, or difficult to collect, but where having timely, accurate and disaggregated data can literally influence life-saving decisions. Women Count support has driven important changes, addressing institutional blind spots and shaping laws, policies and programmes to improve the lives of women and girls – whether through more targeted humanitarian assistance, more inclusive climate change and disaster response plans, increased access to economic opportunities and social protection, more inclusive budgeting and local governance plans, or greater awareness and action to end gender-based violence.