International Women's Day: Closing the justice gap for women and girls

On International Women's Day 2026, the international community is reminded of a central obligation: To ensure that women and girls enjoy the same legal protections and access to justice as men and boys.

This year's theme – Rights. Justice. Action. – highlights the need to address the structural barriers that continue to limit women's and girls' full enjoyment of their rights. Discriminatory laws, weak enforcement and harmful social norms continue to shape outcomes across countries at all income levels.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in global data. Thirty years after the adoption of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and the Beijing Platform for Action, no country has as yet achieved full legal equality between women and men. On average, countries have enacted only about 76 percent of the laws considered necessary to guarantee full and equal sexual and reproductive rights, and, globally, women hold just 64 percent of the legal rights afforded to men.

Equitable access to justice is essential for women and girls to exercise their rights, including the right to make informed decisions about their health. Yet in nearly one in four countries, women and adolescent girls must obtain consent from a third party, such as a husband or parent, to access contraceptive services. Many countries still lack comprehensive sexuality education, and in 54 percent of countries the legal definition of rape is not based on the absence of freely given consent. These legal gaps directly affect women's ability to access services, seek redress and exercise bodily autonomy.

Gender-based violence remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations. Globally, nearly one in three women experience intimate partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, and every 10 minutes a woman or a girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member. Harmful practices also persist: approximately four million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation each year.

Progress in reducing intimate partner violence has been extremely slow, declining by only 0.2 percent annually over the past two decades. Fewer than 40 per cent of survivors seek help from any source, and even fewer turn to police or courts. Barriers include limited access to legal aid, under-resourced services, stigma, and procedures that may traumatize survivors again. Justice responses are also often fragmented, with legal services not always connected to healthcare, psychosocial support or social protection – underscoring the need for stronger coordination across sectors.

Emerging global challenges also require attention. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including online harassment and image-based abuse, is expanding rapidly while legal and policy responses have yet to keep pace in many countries.

Evidence shows that legal frameworks can make a difference. In countries with legislation against domestic violence, adolescent girls are about 40 percent less likely to experience intimate partner violence than in countries without such laws.

China's experience provides an important example. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the 2016 Anti-Domestic Violence Law, a milestone in strengthening justice systems for women and girls. This progress is grounded in the State policy of gender equality, and reinforced by the National Program for Women's Development (2021-2030) and the 2023 amendment to the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women. China also reaffirmed its commitment to the global call for zero violence against women during the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, which commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration in October 2025.

UNFPA is proud to partner in these efforts. Around the world, UNFPA supports countries in strengthening legal and policy frameworks, expanding survivor-centred services, improving data systems and ensuring access to quality sexual and reproductive health services in both development and humanitarian contexts. Through partnerships with governments, civil society and other UN entities, UNFPA works to advance three transformative results: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices – while strengthening demographic resilience so societies can respond to population change in ways that uphold rights and advance sustainable development.

Our experience shows that advancing justice for women and girls requires sustained investment, evidence-based policymaking and accountability grounded in reliable data. It also requires ensuring that laws are implemented effectively and that services are accessible and responsive to those most in need.

On this International Women's Day, the global community is reminded that rights, justice and action must go hand in hand. When women and girls can claim their rights in law and in practice, societies become healthier, more stable and more prosperous.

The author is representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to China.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily. 

If you have a specific expertise, or would like to share your thought about our stories, then send us your writings at opinion@chinadaily.com.cn, and comment@chinadaily.com.cn.