Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls
On 8 March 2026, rally with women and girls around the world to demand equal rights and equal justice to enforce, exercise, and enjoy those rights.
Nowadays, no nation has closed the legal gaps between men and women. Right now, women have only 64 per cent of the legal rights that men hold worldwide. In fundamental areas of life, including work, money, safety, family, property, mobility, business, and retirement – the law systematically disadvantages women.
International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), under the theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, calls for action to dismantle all barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls.
Join the UN Women’s campaign
UN Women has launched a campaign with engaging materials and key information to spread the word and call for equal rights for all women and girls.
Join us for our celebration
When: 9 March 10 a.m. (New York time)
How: Watch live or on demand on .
This year’s commemoration comes at a pivotal political moment to place justice at the center of the global debate. It takes place just ahead of the opening of the United Nations’ largest annual forum on gender equality and women’s rights worldwide, formally known as the .
Did you know?
- Women have only 64% of the legal rights that men hold worldwide.
- If progress continues at its current pace, it will take 286 years to close legal protection gaps
- In many countries, the law allows for early and child marriage, which erodes the full potential of about 12 million girls annually.
What is feminism? A simple guide to an often-misunderstood topic
Coming Soon: New UN Gender Report
On Wednesday, 4 March, the report “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls” will be launched. It warns that the very systems meant to protect women and girls are failing them—leaving them exposed to abuse, injustice, and impunity amid a growing backlash against gender equality and increasing violations of their fundamental rights.
Commission on the Status of Women
Save the dates! 9-19 March 2026
The world will gather at UN Headquarters in New York for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)– the UN’ largest annual forum dedicated to gender equality and women’s rights. What happens here influences laws, policies, funding and accountability across countries and generations. This year’s focus is clear: rights, justice and action for all women and girls.

