Global 50/50

What Global 50/50 does

Global 50/50 (legal entity: Global Health 5050) is an independent not-for-profit think tank founded in 2018 and headquartered at The Guildhall, Market Hill, Cambridge, United Kingdom. The organization employs approximately 17 staff and operates a portfolio of research initiatives and interactive data tools focused on gender equality in global health and the law and justice sectors. Its core product suite includes the annual Global Health 50/50 Report and Gender & Health Index (covering ~200 global health organizations since 2018), the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Data Tracker (the world's largest repository of sex-disaggregated COVID-19 data, also exposed via a public API), the Gender Pay Gap Dashboard, the Gendered Health Pathways interactive visualization, the Global Justice 50/50 initiative (covering 171 organizations), and supporting resources such as the Workplace Policy Repository, Tools for Change, and an Organisational Self-Assessment Tool. The co-CEOs, Professor Sarah Hawkes and Professor Kent Buse, anchor the organization's credibility through academic affiliations and the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health, which Hawkes co-chairs.

The organization serves four primary user segments: global health organizations (NGOs, UN agencies, bilaterals, research institutions, and private-sector entities in global health), law and justice sector organizations, policymakers and governments, and HR professionals and organizational leaders. Its underlying technology is a research and data analytics platform emphasizing sex-disaggregated data, longitudinal policy tracking, and interactive data visualization; a public API at api.global5050.org enables programmatic access to COVID-19 data. The technology stack relies on third-party email infrastructure (Mailchimp) and content publishing systems, with no proprietary AI/ML components disclosed.

Global 50/50 generates no commercial revenue. It operates as a grant-funded non-profit, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation explicitly named as a funder of the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project. All publications, data tools, and policy resources are distributed free of charge through global5050.org and partner channels (BMJ, Lancet, BMJ Global Health, media outlets including CNN). The go-to-market motion is community-led: research publications, organizational assessments, partnerships (notably with APHRC, ICRW, and CREHPA), and convening actors around evidence-informed gender-just agendas, supplemented by an API channel for programmatic data access. The organization has expanded its footprint into new sub-brands (Global Justice 50/50, Global Food 50/50, This Is Gender, Gender and Health 50/50 Nepal) and product lines (Rollback and Resistance Report, ASEAN Women's Health Policy), with a 2026 Global Justice report forthcoming.

Name

Global 50/50

Legal name

Global Health 5050

Website

https://global5050.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global 50/50 is an independent non-profit think tank headquartered in Cambridge, UK, that produces research, data tools, and organizational assessments to advance gender equality in the global health and law and justice sectors. It serves global health organizations, justice-sector bodies, policymakers, and HR leaders through free publications, interactive dashboards, and a public COVID-19 sex-disaggregated data API.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equality Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Gender equality research
• Global health policy
• Sex-disaggregated data
• Organizational gender assessment
• Gender justice advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Funding: The organization operates as a not-for-profit initiative funded primarily through grants from foundations. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is explicitly mentioned as a funding partner for the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Global 50/50 is an independent not-for-profit think tank that advances action and accountability for social and gender justice. It produces research reports (Global Health 50/50 Report, Global Justice 50/50), data tools and dashboards (Gender & Health Index, Gender Pay Gap Dashboard, COVID-19 Sex-Disaggregated Data Tracker, Gendered Health Pathways), policy repositories, and self-assessment tools, combined with convening of stakeholders around evidence-informed gender-just agendas.

Product overview

Global 50/50 is an independent think tank that advances action and accountability for social and gender justice through research, organizational assessments, and convening. The organization operates a portfolio of research initiatives and data tools, anchored by the Global Health 50/50 Report and Gender & Health Index, which monitor policies and practices across global health organizations. Key analytical products include the Gender Pay Gap Dashboard and the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Data Tracker and Health Policy Portal. The Gendered Health Pathways tool provides interactive visualizations on health disparities. Global Justice 50/50 extends this work to the law and justice sector. Supporting resources include the Workplace Policy Repository, Tools for Change resource bank, and an Organisational Self-Assessment Tool. A public API provides access to COVID-19 data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Global Health 50/50: An initiative generating comprehensive analysis, action and accountability for intersectional gender equality in health globally.
• Global Justice 50/50
• Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project
• Gendered Health Pathways
• This Is Gender
• Global Food 50/50
• Gender and Health 50/50 Nepal

Products and services

• Global Health 50/50 Report Annual global report providing a comprehensive view of gender justice in the global health system, assessing policies, practices and outcomes of approximately 200 organizations active in global health.
• Gender & Health Index Interactive index presenting organizations' scores on commitments and policies for gender justice, enabling comparison of performance across sectors, regions, and over time since 2018.
• Gender Pay Gap Dashboard Interactive dashboard tracking gender pay gap reporting across organizations, including analysis of UK mandated reporting and organizational leadership effects.
• Gendered Health Pathways Interactive tool presenting a holistic view of health pathways for HIV, hypertension, and diabetes, revealing gender-related disparities across the life course.
• COVID-19 Sex-Disaggregated Data Tracker World's largest repository of sex-disaggregated COVID-19 data, tracking testing, vaccination, hospitalization and death by sex and demographic characteristics. Used by multiple UN dashboards.
• Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Health Policy Portal Open-access repository providing analysis of the inclusion of gender, equity, and human rights in national COVID-19 health policies globally.
• Global Justice 50/50 Initiative applying independent analysis to the law and justice sector to drive stronger commitments and accountability for gender justice, with an inaugural report examining 171 global organizations.
• Rollback and Resistance Report Report presenting data on how US-based organizations are responding to the dismantling of DEI policies, highlighting risks, resistance, and the need for collective action.
• Workplace Policy Repository Repository bringing together best-practice examples of workplace policies from organizations across global health, accessible for review or strengthening of gender-just policies.
• Tools for Change Curated resource bank of good practice tools and guidance drawn from experts across sectors to support HR professionals and organizational leaders in advancing workplace fairness and equity.
• Organisational Self-Assessment Tool Self-assessment tool enabling organizations to evaluate their own performance and policies regarding gender equality and workplace fairness.
• Sex, Gender and COVID-19 API Public API providing programmatic access to COVID-19 sex-disaggregated data and health policy information from the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project.
• Gender and Health 50/50 Nepal Regional initiative producing a report examining whether health organizations fulfil Nepal's commitment to gender equality and non-discrimination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations with women CEOs have smaller median gender pay gaps on average than organizations led by men (over eight years of analysis)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project is a partnership of Global Health 50/50, APHRC, and ICRW. APHRC provides dedicated contributors including Dennis Akeyo, Damazo Kadengye, Siki Kigongo, Michelle Mbuthia, Sylvia Muyingo, and Moreen Nkonge for data tracking and policy analysis work.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project. ICRW contributes staff including Pranita Achyut, Kakoli Borkotoky, Abhishek Gautam, Kamayani, Ketaki Nagaraju, and Sneha Sharma to the initiative's research and policy work.
• Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with CREHPA for Gender and Health 50/50 Nepal - the first report examining whether health organisations fulfil Nepal's commitment to gender equality and non-discrimination, aiming to generate evidence, policy recommendations and action on gender equality in Nepal.
• Gender at WorkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured as a specialist consulting partner in the Tools for Organizational Change section, offering capacity development strategies including gender action learning, strategic planning, training, and reflective learning engagements.
• Drs Amy Gottlieb and Sharmila MhatreminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategic and operational consulting support from Drs Gottlieb and Mhatre for creating workplace policies, practices, and cultures that allow all employees to thrive. Dr. Mhatre serves on the Advisory Council of Global 50/50.
• Lancet Commission on Gender and Global HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-chaired by Global 50/50 co-CEO Sarah Hawkes, the Commission produced research, evidence and recommendations for improving health and wellbeing for everyone, examining how gender is contested within health systems and how anti-gender movements and commercial interests entrench injustice.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC): A pan-African research institution producing policy-relevant evidence on population health and development. APHRC is a core data-collection partner on Global 50/50's COVID-19 project and shares the focus on generating African-led, gender-responsive health evidence.
• Global Fund for Women: A grantmaking foundation supporting women's human rights organizations worldwide. Comparable as a gender-focused intermediary funder with overlapping themes on feminist leadership, pay equity, and institutional accountability — albeit with a grantmaking rather than research delivery model.
• WomenLift Health: A non-profit focused on advancing women's leadership in global health. Operates in the same intersection of gender and health that Global 50/50's annual report and leadership indicators cover, with similar funder profiles (including Gates Foundation).
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): A global research organization focused on advancing gender equity. ICRW is a direct research partner with Global 50/50 on the Sex, Gender and COVID-19 Project and operates an overlapping portfolio of evidence-based research on gender, health, and economic empowerment.

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization Gender, Equity and Human Rights team: The WHO unit mainstreaming gender into global health policy. Comparable as the institutional home of authoritative gender-and-health guidance; overlaps directly with Global 50/50's policy-portal and health-index work and is a major consumer of its COVID-19 sex-disaggregated data.
• OECD Gender Initiative: OECD's cross-cutting initiative to advance gender equality through data, analysis, and policy advice. Comparable as a producer of cross-country gender data and benchmarks, though with broader scope (labor markets, education, governance) and government-mandated scale.
• UN Women: The UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Comparable as the dominant institutional voice on gender justice globally, with both advocacy and data-publishing functions overlapping Global 50/50's mission — though it operates at multilateral scale.

Emerging players

• Equimundo (formerly Promundo-US): An international non-profit working to advance gender equality by engaging men and boys. Overlaps with Global 50/50 on the workplace policy and men's engagement dimensions of gender justice, though its primary entry point is male engagement rather than organizational benchmarking.
• Human Rights Watch — Women's Rights Division: Investigative advocacy division producing evidence and accountability reporting on women's rights globally. Comparable in the advocacy-and-evidence production model and in its intersection with health and justice issues, though with a litigation-and-reporting rather than organizational-indexing orientation.

Regional players

• Athena SWAN (Advance HE): A UK-based gender equality charter framework that awards institutions for advancing women's careers in higher education and research. Highly comparable to Global 50/50's Gender & Health Index in methodology and intent — assessing workplace gender policies — but regionally scoped to the UK and academic sector.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlobalHlth5050
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalHlth5050
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/globalhealth5050
• Instagraminstagram.com/globalhealth5050

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global 50/50