The United Nations has warned that despite decades of advocacy and reforms, no country in the world has yet achieved full equality between women and girls and men.
The organisation raised the concern while marking the International Women’s Day 2026, noting that at the current pace of progress it could take many years before women and girls enjoy the same rights and protections as men.
In a post shared on its official X handle on Sunday, March 8, 2026, the UN said that gender equality remains an unmet global goal.
“It’s 2026, and as of yet, no country has achieved gender equality. At the current rate of progress, it could take hundreds of years for women and girls to have the same rights and protections as men,” the organisation stated.
Citing a report titled Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls, released ahead of the International Women’s Day observance, the UN revealed that women globally possess only 64 per cent of the legal rights granted to men.
According to the report, persistent legal discrimination continues to expose women and girls to exclusion, violence and systemic disadvantages at different stages of life.
“The reality is stark. In more than half of the world’s countries, rape laws are not based on consent. Nearly three out of four nations still legally allow girls to be forced into marriage, cutting short childhoods, education and future,” the report stated.
It also revealed that 44 per cent of countries lack laws guaranteeing equal pay for work of equal value, while about 54 per cent do not define rape based on consent.
In many parts of the world, women still face legal barriers in owning property, seeking divorce, transferring citizenship to their children, or even working and moving freely without their husband’s permission.
The Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, said denying women and girls access to justice has far-reaching consequences.
“When women and girls are denied justice, the damage goes far beyond any single case. Public trust erodes, institutions lose legitimacy and the rule of law itself is weakened. A justice system that fails half the population cannot claim to uphold justice at all,” Bahous said in the report.
Despite the challenges, the report acknowledged some progress in advancing women’s rights globally.
According to the findings, 87 per cent of countries now have laws against domestic violence, while more than 40 nations have strengthened constitutional protections for women and girls over the past decade.
However, the UN stressed that laws alone are not enough, as many survivors still encounter stigma, fear, financial barriers and a lack of confidence in institutions meant to protect them.
The report also warned of worrying setbacks in some regions where previously secured rights are being rolled back, while emerging threats such as digital abuse are increasing.
It further revealed that 676 million women and girls live within 50 kilometres of active conflict zones, where justice systems are often weak or non-existent and perpetrators frequently act without consequences.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasised that protecting women’s rights remains essential for global progress.
“Women’s rights are human rights and investing in women and girls is one of the surest ways to make the world a better place,” he said.
Guterres added that International Women’s Day should serve not only as a moment of reflection but also as a call to action.
“When women are not equal under the law, equality does not truly exist. Ensuring justice for all women and girls is essential for building fairer and stronger societies everywhere. Now is the time to act,” he said.
The UN chief also urged stronger support for UN Women and women’s movements around the world to help turn legal rights into reality for every woman and girl.