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.

Recent global reports also highlight that legal reforms alone are not enough. While many countries have introduced laws promoting gender equality, enforcement remains weak, leaving millions of women exposed to discrimination, violence and economic exclusion. Studies show that laws supporting women’s economic participation are, on average, only about half-enforced worldwide, and only around 4 percent of women live in economies that provide nearly full legal equality.

Around the world, governments, civil society organizations and activists are marking International Women’s Day with rallies, policy discussions and global forums aimed at strengthening justice and accountability. The United Nations and partner organizations are convening major international events this month to push for stronger protections, equal opportunities and greater participation of women in economic and political life, emphasizing that gender equality is essential for sustainable development and social progress.