There are nearly 600 million women aged 15-24 worldwide, with 90% living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), making them a significant share of the global population.
37 countries grant women less than half of the legal rights of men, affecting 500 million women, while globally, women enjoy less than two-thirds of the legal rights available to men.
Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could boost global GDP by over 20%, and eliminating the gap within a decade could double the global growth rate.
Women hold just 1 in 5 corporate board positions, partly because less than 20% of countries require gender-sensitive public procurement, excluding them from a $10 trillion-a-year opportunity.
Women earn only 77 cents for every $1 paid to men, while 92 countries lack equal pay laws. Additionally, 20 countries prohibit women from night work and 45 ban women from “dangerous” jobs.
By 2030, an estimated 8% of the world’s female population (342.4 million women and girls) will still live on less than $2.15 a day, with 220.9 million in sub-Saharan Africa.
Climate change could push 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty by 2050, which is 16 million more than men and boys under a worst-case scenario.
By 2020, food insecurity was projected to impact 236 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys.
By 2050, women will still spend 2.5 times more hours per day on unpaid care work than men. If valued monetarily, women’s unpaid labor could exceed 40% of GDP in some countries.
The International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 theme, "Accelerate Action," calls on everyone—individuals, businesses, and governments—to break barriers and speed up progress toward gender equality.
The United Nations Secretary-General, in his IWD address, emphasizes the importance of heeding the voices of women and girls globally, advocating for action over apathy to advance gender equality.
Source:
World Bank Group, United Nations, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Sterling Financial Holdings Company is Nigeria’s youngest listed PLC, at just 3 years (incorporated October 13, 2021).
Access Holdings and GT Holding Company are both only 4 years old, showing how recent banking reforms are shaping listing dynamics.
Airtel Africa is just 6 years old as a listed entity, highlighting the recent telecoms push into capital markets.
BUA Cement, only 11 years old, reflects how strategic industrial players are now aggressively leveraging public listings.
Financial services dominate the young PLCs list, from VFD Group (15 years) to First Holdco, Stanbic IBTC, and FCMB Group—all under 15.
Real estate and infrastructure players like UPDC REIT (12 years) and AVA Infrastructure Fund (10 years) show that capital-intensive sectors are increasingly tapping the market early.
Royal Exchange is Nigeria’s oldest listed PLC at 104 years, incorporated on February 28, 1921.
Unilever (101 years) and UAC Nigeria (94 years) follow closely behind, cementing their status as legacy multinationals.
Greif Nigeria (85 years) and May & Baker Nigeria (81 years) show enduring pharmaceutical and industrial presence.
Wema Bank is the oldest bank on the list at 80 years, showcasing longevity in financial services.
Consumer goods dominate the list, with companies like PZ Cussons, Nigerian Breweries, and Guinness all exceeding 75 years.
Four companies (Chellarams, PZ Cussons, Thomas Wyatt, and Nigerian Breweries) were all incorporated 77-78 years ago, pointing to a cluster of post-WWII business growth.
The youngest on the list—RT Briscoe—is still 68 years old, proving that listing longevity is no accident but a product of strategic resilience.
Mercado Libre leads with $8.5B, making it Baillie Gifford’s most valuable tech holding after its Jumia exit.
Amazon ($6.2B) and NVIDIA ($6.8B) remain major anchors in the portfolio, highlighting confidence in cloud, AI, and e-commerce.
The "Others" category holds the largest share ($75B), showing how Baillie Gifford’s exposure is spread widely beyond the major names.
Even post-Jumia, the portfolio is deeply rooted in innovation, with stakes in Spotify, Cloudflare, Moderna, and Shopify; covering audio streaming, cybersecurity, biotech, and e-commerce platforms.
Kenya recorded the highest ivory seizure among the top 10 countries, with 130,432 kg confiscated over the 34-year period.
China and Hong Kong follow closely, with 106,069 kg and 75,707 kg seized, respectively, showing their long standing roles as critical players in the global ivory network.
Vietnam and Singapore, both located in Southeast Asia, had substantial seizure records; 71,256 kg and 29,882 kg, indicating persistent trafficking through the region.
Nigeria leads West Africa in ivory confiscations within the top 10, with 23,031 kg, signalling its importance as a key node in the transit chain.
All countries listed in the top 10 are either source, transit, or destination points in the global ivory supply chain, reflecting how widespread and interconnected the illegal trade remains.
