About International Women's Day The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March during International Women’s Year 1975. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas. Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. IWD 2026 A call to dismantle legal gaps and structural barriers so every woman and girl can enjoy equal rights and justice. UN theme for 2026- “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” 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. Besides, the year 2026 is a pivotal moment as it marks the 31st anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This document is the most progressive and widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide that transformed the women’s rights agenda in terms of legal protection, access to services, youth engagement, and change in social norms, stereotypes and ideas stuck in the past. This International Women’s Day, let’s unite to transform challenges into opportunities and shape a better future for all! Click here to know more. Did you know - Progress on women’s rights In knowing and pushing forward for progress, there is hope. 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 justice actually means for women and girls Without justice, rights are just words. With justice, rights become power. Laws that protect women and girls from violence and end impunity. A woman can call the police – free from fear of retaliation or inaction – when she experiences abuse. Perpetrators know that they will be held accountable by the justice system. Laws that prevent and end discrimination. Women are guaranteed equal pay for work of equal value under the law – and can bring their employer to court for discrimination when those laws are broken. Or a girl’s right to attend school is legally protected, so she can grow up with the same opportunities as her male peers. Justice systems that believe women and girls, without bias. Police, lawyers, judges, and others in the justice system stop judging women and girls based on stereotypes and gender bias – so that survivors are not revictimized or blamed and justice is delivered. Legal aid that ALL women and girls can access and afford. For example, legal aid is made free for a woman who cannot afford the fees – and she can report injustice regardless of her race, language, income, or citizenship status. Support to recover when rights are violated. Survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), sexual violence, or online abuse can access the health centres, counselling, and social services they need to recover. Actions needed End impunity. Close the loopholes, enforce the laws, and hold perpetrators accountable. Fix the law. Remove discriminatory laws – laws that allow for treating women and girls unequally, condone them, or stay silent about violence against them. For example, laws that allow child marriage and FGM, or laws that disallow women from inheriting property and running for elected office. Fund justice. Ensure justice systems are sufficiently resourced, including funding for legal aid and survivor-centred justice services. Research shows that the benefits of government-supported legal aid and related services outweigh their costs. Invest in change. Fund women’s organizations as they drive transformative justice reforms, act as first responders and provide survivor-support services, mobilize public opinion, and more. The presence of women’s organizations is the most consistent predictor of government action against gender-based violence. Use technology and data, for good. With innovation and collaboration, our laws can deliver justice more effectively. Much more must be done to counter misinformation and discrimination, fight algorithmic bias and online abuse, expand gender data, and close the digital gender divide. Here are six actions that can make a real difference, while placing the leadership of young women and adolescent girls in the centre of all efforts. For All Women and Girls—A Digital Revolution - Closing the digital gender divide could save $500 billion over the next five years. Technology must be a force for equality, not exclusion. Support the Global Digital Compact and enact policies that bridge the digital gender divide, ensuring equal access and leadership for all women and girls in technology For All Women and Girls—Freedom from poverty - Nearly one in ten women live in extreme poverty. Public services and social protection expand economic opportunities and security for women. Women also do at least twice as much unpaid care work as men do. Care is the backbone of all societies, and yet largely undervalued and unpaid. It doesn’t have to be this way—closing care gaps could create 300 million jobs by 2035. Invest in national budgets to strengthen social protection, public services, particularly care services, to give women an equal chance to prosper and fight poverty. For All Women and Girls—Zero Violence - One in three women experiences violence in her lifetime. Although globally we have many laws in the books, they are often poorly implemented and investment in prevention strategies is lacking. Adopt, implement and fund national laws and policies that signal zero impunity towards violence against women and support local women's organizations. For All Women and Girls—Full and Equal Decision-Making Power - Around the world, decisions affecting women’s lives are still made overwhelmingly by men. This is not just unjust—it is inefficient. Implement laws and policies, apply temporary special measures to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in politics, business and institutions. For All Women and Girls—Peace and Security - Over 600 million women and girls live near armed conflict, with conflict-related sexual violence skyrocketing by 50 per cent last year alone. Women’s organizations are the first responders to crises and champions of peace. Yet they remain underfunded and undervalued. Adopt fully financed national plans to increase women's meaningful participation in all aspects of peace and security and fund women's organizations in crises and conflict settings. For All Women and Girls— Climate Justice - As the climate crisis and biodiversity loss accelerate, women and girls—especially in rural and indigenous communities— bear the brunt of its devastating effects. They are also at the forefront of solutions. Prioritize women's and girls' rights and leadership in climate action by increasing investment in and their access to green jobs, like care, sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development In 2015, countries agreed on the need for comprehensive financing for development; adopted a new sustainable development agenda; and charted a universal and legally binding global agreement on climate change. Concluding a negotiating process that has spanned more than two years and featured the unprecedented participation of civil society, on 2 August 2015, governments united behind an ambitious agenda that features 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets that aim to end poverty, combat inequalities and promote prosperity while protecting the environment by 2030. The new agenda is an action plan for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. It will foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies and require the participation of all countries, stakeholders and people. The ambitious agenda seeks to end poverty by 2030 and promote shared economic prosperity, social development and environmental protection for all countries. The new agenda is based on 17 goals, including a stand-alone goal on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as well as gender-sensitive targets in other goals. SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Women have a critical role to play in all of the SDGs, with many targets specifically recognizing women’s equality and empowerment as both the objective, and as part of the solution. Goal 5 is known as the stand-alone gender goal because it is dedicated to achieving these ends. Deep legal and legislative changes are needed to ensure women’s rights around the world. While a record 143 countries guaranteed equality between men and women in their Constitutions by 2014, another 52 had not taken this step. In many nations, gender discrimination is still woven through legal and social norms. Stark gender disparities remain in economic and political realms. While there has been some progress over the decades, on average women in the labour market still earn 24 per cent less than men globally. Worldwide, only 23 per cent of all national parliamentarians were female. Meanwhile, violence against women is a pandemic affecting all countries, even those that have made laudable progress in other areas. Worldwide, 35 per cent of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. Women have a right to equality in all areas. It must be embedded across legal systems, upheld in both laws and legal practices, including proactive measures such as quotas. Since all areas of life relate to gender equality, efforts must be made to cut the roots of gender discrimination wherever they appear. Targets set End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. For the details on SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, click here. Source : UN Women - International Women's Day Related resources What is feminism? Women and protection from AI deepfake abuse