"Far too many women and girls continue to be discriminated against, subjected to violence, denied equal opportunities in education and employment, and excluded from positions of leadership and decision-making," he noted.

According to the data by U.N. Women, developing countries have almost achieved gender parity in primary education; at least 50 percent of the world's women are in paid wage and salary employment, an increase from 40 percent in 1990; and the percentage of women in parliament has nearly doubled in the last 20 years.