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Opinion
Credit: UN Women/Marcela Erosa
From protection against gender violence to equal pay, women and girls remain unequal before the law, as impunity for violations of their rights persists around the world, UN Women said.
– On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2026, UN Women issues a global alert: justice systems meant to uphold rights and the rule of law are failing women and girls around the world. Women around the world possess only 64 percent of the legal rights of men, exposing them to discrimination, violence and exclusion at every stage of their lives.
This is one of the conclusions of the new report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, “Guarantee and strengthen access to justice for all women and girls”. The same report reveals that in more than half of the world’s countries (54 percent) rape is still not defined on the basis of consent, meaning that a woman can be raped and the law may not recognize it as a crime.
Under national law, a girl can still be forced to marry in almost 3 out of 4 countries. And in 44 percent of countries, equal pay for work of equal value is not required by law, meaning women can still legally receive less pay for the same work.
“When women and girls are denied justice, the damage goes far beyond a single case. Public trust is eroded, institutions lose legitimacy and the rule of law itself is weakened. A justice system that fails half the population cannot hope to uphold justice at all,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
As the backlash against long-standing commitments to gender equality intensifies, violations of the rights of women and girls are accelerating, fueled by a global culture of impunity, extending from courts to online spaces and conflicts. Laws are being rewritten to restrict the freedoms of women and girls, silence their voices and allow abuse without consequences.
As technology outpaces regulation, women and girls face increasing digital violence in a climate of impunity where perpetrators are rarely held accountable. In conflict, rape continues to be used as a weapon of war, and reported cases of sexual violence increased by 87 percent in just two years.
The UN Secretary-General’s report also shows that progress is possible: 87 percent of countries have enacted domestic violence laws and more than 40 countries have strengthened constitutional protections for women and girls over the past decade. But laws alone are not enough.
Discriminatory social norms (stigma, victim-blaming, fear, and community pressure) continue to silence survivors and obstruct justice, allowing even the most extreme forms of violence, including femicide, to go unpunished.
Women’s access to justice is also impeded by everyday realities such as cost, time, language, and a profound lack of trust in the very institutions meant to protect them.
This International Women’s Day 2026, under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls”, UN Women calls for urgent and decisive action: ending impunity, upholding the rule of law and achieving equality (in law, in practice and in all spheres of life) for all women and girls.
This year’s 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the United Nations’ highest-level intergovernmental body that sets global standards for women’s rights and gender equality, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the rollback of women’s rights and ensure justice.
“Now is the time to stand up, demonstrate and defend rights, justice and action, so that all women and girls can live safely, speak freely and live on equal terms,” Bahous emphasized.
The commemoration of International Women’s Day and the opening of CSW70 will take place this year on the same day, consecutively, on March 9, 2026 at the UN General Assembly, starting at 9:00 am EST and online.
IPS UN Office
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