UN Women Calls for Urgent Action on Justice for Women at CSW70 Hearing

UN Women data show that women globally enjoy only 64 percent of the legal rights of men, and no country has achieved full legal equality.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous today issued a strong call for renewed political commitment, financing and partnerships to ensure equal access to justice for all women and girls, warning that discrimination, conflict and backlash against women’s rights continue to deny millions their fundamental freedoms.

Speaking at the first multi-stakeholder hearing of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at UN Headquarters, Bahous said the hearing marked a milestone for inclusive multilateralism and reflected the spirit of the CSW revitalization resolution and the Pact for the Future.

“Access to justice is fundamental. It is non-negotiable,” Bahous said. “It underpins good governance, lasting peace, sustainable development and social cohesion. Yet today, for far too many women and girls, justice remains distant or entirely out of reach.”

A Global Justice Gap for Women and Girls

Bahous warned that the UN Charter principle of equal rights for women and men is under strain as civic space shrinks, resources are withdrawn, conflicts escalate and opposition to gender equality grows more vocal.

UN Women data show that women globally enjoy only 64 percent of the legal rights of men, and no country has achieved full legal equality. She highlighted persistent gaps, including:

• 54 percent of countries lacking a consent-based definition of rape

• 44 percent without laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work

• Three-quarters of countries still permitting child marriage

The justice deficit is especially stark in conflict settings. More than 676 million women and girls now live within 50 kilometres of conflict zones, where conflict-related sexual violence has risen by 87 percent in just two years.

“When international humanitarian and human rights law are disregarded, justice becomes a distant promise,” Bahous said.

Proof That Justice Works

Despite the challenges, Bahous stressed that progress is possible and measurable. Since 1970, over 600 million women have gained economic opportunities through family law reform, while laws criminalizing domestic violence and sexual harassment have expanded women’s participation in education, work and public life.

“Where access to justice is real, women and girls thrive—and when women and girls thrive, so do entire economies and societies,” she said.

Clear Solutions, Urgent Choices

Bahous outlined five priority actions to close the justice gap:

• Invest in justice systems that deliver for women and girls

• Provide gender-responsive, survivor-centred and trauma-informed services

• Ensure women’s leadership throughout justice institutions

• Guarantee accessible legal aid aligned with international human rights standards

• Invest in women’s rights organizations driving reform and accountability

She warned that women’s rights organizations—critical to translating global norms into local change—are increasingly underfunded and undermined, despite being on the frontlines of justice delivery.

CSW70: A Moment to Act

Bahous said CSW70 offers a critical opportunity to scale solutions, secure sustainable financing, harness digital justice tools, strengthen data and evidence, and reinforce prevention efforts so that justice systems truly serve women and girls.

“CSW remains a beacon of multilateralism,” she said. “There is no pushback stronger than our collective action, and no force more powerful than the momentum of the women’s movement.”

She concluded by looking ahead to International Women’s Day in March, to be marked under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls.”