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Women's health, rights & mental well-being

Women live longer. They also spend 25% more of their lives in poor health.1

Clear, sourced information about the conditions, rights, and mental-health realities that women are too often told to live with. Every number on this site links to where it came from.

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The gap, by the numbers

Global figures unless labeled U.S. Superscripts link to the full source list.

1.5×

Depression is about 1.5 times more common among women than men. In 2023 it affected an estimated 6.2% of adult women vs. 4.1% of men worldwide.

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10%+

More than 10% of pregnant women and women who have just given birth experience depression worldwide.

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1 in 3

About 1 in 3 women (840 million) have been subjected to intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

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~712

Women died every day in 2023 from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, about 260,000 in total. Most of these deaths were preventable.

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190M

Endometriosis affects an estimated 10% of reproductive-age women worldwide, and it can also affect mental health, including depression and anxiety.

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1 in 5

U.S.Heart disease caused about 1 in 5 female deaths in 2023 (304,970 women), yet only about 56% of women recognize it as their No. 1 killer.

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Mental health

Depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and mental health during and after pregnancy.

See the mental health numbers

Body & health

Heart disease, endometriosis, maternal health, and the research gaps that shape women's care.

See the body & health numbers

Rights & safety

Violence, legal protections, work, and representation: where women stand today.

See the rights & safety numbers

Rights on paper, rights in practice

From the UN Women / UN DESA Gender Snapshot reports, 2025 and 2026.

63

countries have rape laws based on the lack of consent.7

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38

countries set 18 as the minimum marriage age with no exceptions.7

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27.2%

of seats in national parliaments were held by women as of January 1, 2025.7

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6%

of corporate CEO positions globally are held by women.8

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Laws matter: intimate partner violence rates are 2.5 times lower in countries with comprehensive measures on violence against women than in countries with weak protections.7

You don't have to figure this out alone

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Mental health or suicidal crisis, including if you're worried about someone else

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Free and confidential. ASL via videophone.11

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Pregnant or postpartum, and their loved ones

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Call 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) or text 1-833-852-6262. Free and confidential. English and Spanish. TTY: use a relay service or dial 711, then 1-833-852-6262.10

Call 1-833-TLC-MAMA
Abuse or an unsafe relationship

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org. Free and confidential.12

Call 1-800-799-7233

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Worried about someone else? See how to help.

Sources

  1. World Economic Forum & McKinsey Health Institute, Closing the Women's Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies, January 17, 2024. weforum.org
  2. World Health Organization, Depressive disorder (depression) — fact sheet. who.int
  3. World Health Organization, Violence against women — fact sheet (2023 estimates). who.int
  4. World Health Organization, Maternal mortality — fact sheet, April 7, 2025. who.int
  5. World Health Organization, Endometriosis — fact sheet. who.int
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Women and Heart Disease. cdc.gov
  7. UN Women & UN DESA, Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2025, September 15, 2025. unwomen.org
  8. UN Women & UN DESA, The Gender Snapshot 2026 (launch release), September 17, 2026. un.org
  9. NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, History of Women's Participation in Clinical Research. orwh.od.nih.gov
  10. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. mchb.hrsa.gov
  11. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. samhsa.gov
  12. National Domestic Violence Hotline, The Hotline. thehotline.org
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Symptoms of Depression Among Women. cdc.gov
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees (archived dashboard), August 22, 2025. archive.cdc.gov
  15. National Institute of Mental Health, Any Anxiety Disorder. nimh.nih.gov
  16. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD, How Common Is PTSD in Adults?. ptsd.va.gov
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health and Suicide Risks (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System), August 14, 2026. cdc.gov
  18. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables (Table 6.21B), July 27, 2026. samhsa.gov
  19. National Institute of Mental Health, Eating Disorders (Statistics). nimh.nih.gov
  20. Journal of Affective Disorders (peer-reviewed), The prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis, January 8, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  21. U.S. Government Accountability Office, Drug Safety: Most Drugs Withdrawn in Recent Years Had Greater Health Risks for Women (GAO-01-286R), January 19, 2001. gao.gov
  22. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Stalking. cdc.gov
  23. UN Women & United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Femicides in 2024: Global estimates of intimate partner/family member femicides. unwomen.org
  24. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey — 2025 Results, June 25, 2026. bls.gov
  25. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Highlights of women's earnings in 2024 (Report 1117). bls.gov
  26. United Nations Children's Fund, International Day of the Girl. unicef.org
  27. World Health Organization, Female genital mutilation — fact sheet, January 31, 2025. who.int
  28. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Title VII Sexual Harassment Charge Receipts and Resolutions, FY 2010 – FY 2025 (Table E2c). eeoc.gov
  29. Postpartum Support International, Postpartum Support International HelpLine. postpartum.net
  30. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA's National Helpline. samhsa.gov
  31. Crisis Text Line, Crisis Text Line. crisistextline.org
  32. love is respect, Get relationship help. loveisrespect.org
  33. StrongHearts Native Helpline, StrongHearts Native Helpline. strongheartshelpline.org
  34. Veterans Crisis Line (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs), Veterans Crisis Line. veteranscrisisline.net
  35. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (#BeThe1To), #BeThe1To: 5 Action Steps. bethe1to.com
  36. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, The 10 Questions You Should Know. ahrq.gov