Each year, the World Economic Forum holds up a mirror to humanity's progress toward equality between women and men — and in 2026, the reflection is one of achievement shadowed by retreat. Women have closed more of the global gender gap than ever before, yet the pace of change has slowed to the point where full parity remains 120 years distant. The most fragile ground is political: representation that took a decade to build has receded in a single electoral cycle, reminding the world that progress, without deliberate protection, is not permanent.