A new United Nations report reveals that women continue to face widespread legal inequality, holding just 64 per cent of the rights that men enjoy globally. Despite decades of progress, the report notes that no country grants women and girls full legal equality with men.
Titled “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls,” the report warns that laws in many countries are being reshaped to limit women’s freedoms, silence their voices, and allow abuse to go unpunished. As a result, women remain exposed to injustice and impunity, especially as backlash against gender equality grows.
Key findings from the report show that:
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In more than half of the world’s countries, rape laws are not based on consent.
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Nearly three out of four nations still allow child marriage, restricting education and future opportunities.
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44 per cent of countries lack laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.
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About 54 per cent of countries do not have consent-based definitions of rape.
Many women also face legal barriers to owning property, seeking divorce, passing citizenship to children, or working and moving freely without a husband’s permission.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous stressed that denying justice to women undermines public trust and weakens the rule of law. “A justice system that fails half the population cannot claim to uphold justice,” she said.
The report notes some positive developments: 87 per cent of countries now have laws against domestic violence, and over 40 nations have strengthened constitutional protections for women and girls in the past decade. However, it warns that laws alone are insufficient, as survivors often face stigma, financial obstacles, and lack of trust in institutions.
The UN highlights alarming setbacks as well, including rollbacks of rights and rising digital abuse. For the 676 million women living near conflict zones, justice systems are largely absent, and rape continues to be used as a weapon of war, with reported sexual violence increasing by 87 per cent in just two years.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that women’s rights are human rights. He called International Women’s Day 2026 a moment for action: ensuring justice for women and girls is crucial for building fairer and stronger societies. Guterres urged support for UN Women and global women’s movements to turn rights into reality for every woman and girl.
