Why Feminism Is Still Necessary: The Numbers Speak Volumes
We’ve made some progress. Women can vote, lead companies, run for office, and hold degrees once denied to them. And yet—beneath the surface of these milestones—there remains a stark imbalance. The numbers don’t lie.
According to a graphic shared by @femaleinvest (sourced from @myvoicemychoiceorg), women:
• Make up 51% of the population
• Represent 70% of the poor
• Account for 83% of single parents
• Perform 66% of the world’s work
• Produce 50% of the world’s food
• Yet earn just 11% of the pay
• And own only 1% of the land
Let that sink in.
Despite carrying the majority of caregiving, domestic, and invisible labor and playing a crucial role in global food production and economic survival, women still face extreme disparities in income, wealth, and power.
This Isn’t Just Inequity—It’s Systemic
These statistics don’t reflect personal failure. They reflect systemic inequality—a network of cultural, economic, and legal structures that disproportionately undervalue and underpay women, particularly women of color, single mothers, and those in the Global South.
Questions we should be asking ourselves.
Why are women, who do two-thirds of the world’s work, receiving only a fraction of the income?
Why is the majority of the world’s land—one of the most powerful economic assets—held by men?\
Why are single mothers, many of whom are doing the job of two parents, among the poorest populations?
The answers point to ongoing gender bias, outdated policies, and centuries-old systems that continue to benefit from keeping women underpaid and overworked.
Feminism Isn’t About Blame—It’s About Balance
Feminism isn’t the fight for superiority, it’s the demand for equity. For systems that respect and reflect the value women bring. It’s the belief that a woman producing half the world’s food should have access to more than 1% of its land. That a single mother should have support, not stigma. That women shouldn’t have to work twice as hard to earn half as much.
It’s also the recognition that these disparities don’t disappear with visibility or success. Even highly accomplished women face the weight of imposter syndrome, burnout, gendered expectations, and emotional labor in ways that go unnoticed and unpaid.
Why These Numbers Matter
When we say “we still need feminism,” we’re not just talking about history, we’re talking about right now.
• Feminism is necessary so that economic systems evolve to recognize and fairly compensate women’s labor.
• Feminism is necessary so that women no longer carry the burden of caregiving alone.
• Feminism is necessary because progress on paper means little without equity in practice.
And most of all, feminism is necessary because we cannot build a truly just world if half the population continues to be marginalized economically, socially, and politically.
The fight for gender equality isn’t over. The data tells us so. The question is: What will we do about it?