Category Archives: Global

UN Women Theme for International Women’s Day 2026: 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.

As we begin the second quarter of the 21st century, no nation has closed the legal gaps between men and women. Right now, in 2026, 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. From harmful social norms to discriminatory laws, women and girls continue to face entrenched obstacles – even pushback – to equal justice. If progress continues at its current pace, it will take 286 years to close legal protection gaps. That is not a timeline, it’s surrender.

Without justice systems that work for women, rights become a promise that never arrives.

International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), under the theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, marks a moment to amplify our collective determination. No matter how deeply rooted the sexism or how discouraging the politics, we refuse to step back or abandon our mandate. Instead, we climb together – for the rights and empowerment of all women and girls.

This year, IWD 2026 calls for action to dismantle the structural barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls.

“All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.” 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 7

What does equal justice look like? Simply put, your rights are protected and defended, and laws don’t just stay on the books – they get enforced, so that people can experience equal rights and justice. It means legally protected access to education for girls and an end to child marriage. Women’s freedom to choose to work, participate, and lead in society, including in political and justice systems. Strengthened protection and prevention to end gender-based violence in all its forms. Family, labour, and healthcare laws that do not discriminate against women. Justice systems that are free of bias, centred on survivors, and backed by zero tolerance for abuse and impunity. Legal aid that is affordable and accessible. Just to name a few.

This year’s United Nations observance of International Women’s Day will take place on 9 March and focus on equal justice, purposefully aligning with the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) (from 9 to 19 March). At CSW70, an intergovernmental forum, representatives of Member States, United Nations entities, and civil society will gather to negotiate conclusions on the theme, “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.”

This International Women’s Day, join UN Women, the United Nations family, civil society, youth, media, businesses, and more, to demand “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL women and girls.” Share International Women’s Day stories and messages online with the hashtag #ForAllWomenAndGirls and follow UN Women for more information on forthcoming events.

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2026/01/international-womens-day-2026-rights-justice-action-for-all-women-and-girls

For IWD events see:

February 24, 2026

UN expert, Reem Alsalem, concerned by UK failure to enforce Supreme Court ruling on sex-based protections

A UN expert has expressed serious concern over the United Kingdom’s failure to ensure the effective implementation of a landmark Supreme Court judgment clarifying that the term “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex.

“The continued absence of clear, updated guidance and effective enforcement measures has resulted in widespread non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. “This situation undermines legal certainty with particularly serious consequences for women and girls.”

The Special Rapporteur welcomed the ruling in her report following her recent visit to the United Kingdom. She recommended that the UK Government ensure that all public and private institutions uphold the Supreme Court ruling , and that it provide the necessary guidance to all segments of society to understand the implications of the ruling.

“Without implementation, a court judgment offers little protection in practice,” Alsalem said. “Women and girls are left exposed to continued rights violations and are often compelled to rely on litigation to enforce protections that should already be guaranteed by law — an option that is prohibitively costly and inaccessible for many.”

Nearly one year after the Supreme Court’s ruling of 16 April 2025 in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, the expert noted that the judgment is yet to be translated into binding guidance or enforced across public authorities and service providers. The expert expressed particular concern that non-compliance appears to extend to government departments and public sector bodies, including the National Health Service, the prison service, universities and schools.

“Although the UK Government has accepted that the Supreme Court judgment reflects the law, many public bodies reportedly claim they are awaiting government action to secure parliamentary approval of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations,” the expert said. “At the same time, the earlier 2011 Code — now outdated and inconsistent with the ruling — reportedly remains in use.”

She stressed that the judgment was intended to resolve years of legal confusion surrounding women’s rights to single-sex services, facilities, associations and sports — rights that are central to safeguarding women’s safety, privacy and dignity, and to combating male violence against women and girls. As the first anniversary of the judgment approaches, the expert urged the Government to act without further delay.

“Prompt issuance of compliance guidance and decisive enforcement are essential to give effect to the Supreme Court’s ruling,” the expert said. “Failure to do so not only weakens legal protections for women and girls, but risks eroding public confidence in the rule of law.”

Alsalem recalled that the United Kingdom has long been regarded as a leader in addressing violence against women and girls and its consequences.

“Swift and effective implementation of this judgment would send a clear signal of the UK’s continued commitment to upholding women’s rights and the authority of its highest court,” she said.

Reem Alsalem is the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/un-expert-concerned-uk-failure-enforce-supreme-court-ruling-sex-based

February 17, 2026

14 March 2023 17:30 ~ The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture 2023 – Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh – Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh

The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture 2023 – Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children.

  • A King Khalid Lecture Theatre Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Nicolson Street Edinburgh EH8 9DW
  • Ends 19:30
  • Free (*)

The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture

Speaker: Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children

About the Speaker:

Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh (The Gambia) was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. She started her mandate on 1 May 2020.

Ms Singhateh is a trained lawyer with over 20 years of experience, currently working as an international Consultant on human rights and legal and institutional reforms. She holds a master’s degree in International Business Law from the University of Hull and has undergone numerous trainings in child rights programming, arbitration and mediation, and legislative drafting. She is a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, in the UK.

Ms Singhateh has held a number of high-level positions in public service in the Gambia. She is a former Justice Minister and has held positions as prosecutor, legislative draftsperson, High Court Judge and Justice of Appeal. She has drafted laws, organized and conducted many training sessions, delivered presentations at both national and international fora and written articles and reports on many issues relating to protection and promotion of human rights, particularly on the rights of the child. As Minister of Justice, Ms Singhateh personally supervised and oversaw the drafting of the laws that prohibit and criminalize female genital mutilation and child marriage, and successfully presented them in Parliament for enactment in 2016.

Learn more about Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh’s work on the UN Website. https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-sale-of-children

About the Event:

The Ruth Adler lecture series was inaugurated in 2008 at Edinburgh Law School in memory of lecturer and human rights activist Ruth Adler. Ruth’s work was fundamental in instituting women’s rights and children’s rights in Scotland, establishing multiple organisations in both of these areas. The Ruth Adler Lecture has become an important event in the Human Rights Calendar in Scotland. The series has included high-profile lectures from Philippe Sands, Shami Chakrabarti and Professor Bryan Stevenson.

This lecture will be followed by a reception where you may have the opportunity to meet and network with other attendees.

(*) Please register https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ruth-adler-human-rights-lecture-2023-ms-mama-fatima-singhateh-tickets-518608541107

 

March 10, 2023

14 March 2023 17:30 ~ The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture 2023 – Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh – Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh

The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture 2023 – Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children.

  • A King Khalid Lecture Theatre Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Nicolson Street Edinburgh EH8 9DW
  • Ends 19:30
  • Free (*)

The Ruth Adler Human Rights Lecture

Speaker: Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh, the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children

About the Speaker:

Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh (The Gambia) was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on sale and sexual exploitation of children by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. She started her mandate on 1 May 2020.

Ms Singhateh is a trained lawyer with over 20 years of experience, currently working as an international Consultant on human rights and legal and institutional reforms. She holds a master’s degree in International Business Law from the University of Hull and has undergone numerous trainings in child rights programming, arbitration and mediation, and legislative drafting. She is a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, in the UK.

Ms Singhateh has held a number of high-level positions in public service in the Gambia. She is a former Justice Minister and has held positions as prosecutor, legislative draftsperson, High Court Judge and Justice of Appeal. She has drafted laws, organized and conducted many training sessions, delivered presentations at both national and international fora and written articles and reports on many issues relating to protection and promotion of human rights, particularly on the rights of the child. As Minister of Justice, Ms Singhateh personally supervised and oversaw the drafting of the laws that prohibit and criminalize female genital mutilation and child marriage, and successfully presented them in Parliament for enactment in 2016.

Learn more about Ms Mama Fatima Singhateh’s work on the UN Website. https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-sale-of-children

About the Event:

The Ruth Adler lecture series was inaugurated in 2008 at Edinburgh Law School in memory of lecturer and human rights activist Ruth Adler. Ruth’s work was fundamental in instituting women’s rights and children’s rights in Scotland, establishing multiple organisations in both of these areas. The Ruth Adler Lecture has become an important event in the Human Rights Calendar in Scotland. The series has included high-profile lectures from Philippe Sands, Shami Chakrabarti and Professor Bryan Stevenson.

This lecture will be followed by a reception where you may have the opportunity to meet and network with other attendees.

(*) Please register https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ruth-adler-human-rights-lecture-2023-ms-mama-fatima-singhateh-tickets-518608541107

 

March 10, 2023

Government backtracks to support global abortion rights – Humanists UK

In a new multinational statement, the UK Government has thrown its weight behind ‘promoting and defending comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all’, after having removed such commitments from another statement over the summer.

Humanists UK has welcomed the renewed support for women’s rights to abortion and other services.

July rollback on abortion rights

In July, the UK hosted the International Ministerial on Freedom of Religion or Belief. As part of that, it published the ‘Statement on freedom of religion or belief and gender equality’, which had been drafted alongside other countries. 22 different countries signed the statement, which committed them to abolish discriminatory laws that ‘restrict women’s and girls’ full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy’.

But later that month, the UK unilaterally removed those words from the statement. Humanists UK first spotted the change. Several countries, including Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark, protested the decision. So did over 20 human rights, pro-choice, and international aid groups, in a letter coordinated by Humanists UK. The revised statement was only signed by 8 countries.

A reversal: new commitments to abortion rights

The UK refused to reinstate the original statement. But it has now made similar commitments elsewhere. This week the UK hosted another conference – the International Ministerial Conference on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict. As part of that, the UK published a new multilateral ‘political declaration on conflict-related sexual violence’. That declaration has been signed by 53 countries. It includes:

‘Conflict-related sexual violence must be tackled as part of wider global efforts to… promote and defend comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. We remain firm in our ambition to deliver our commitments in these areas, including: …ensuring access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health at the outset and throughout crises.’

The UK also made a national commitment to ‘continue investing in gender-based violence response services, including comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.’

The UK also published a new ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict strategy’. This includes ‘The UK will continue to invest in life-saving comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services to support survivors of gender-based violence… The UK has committed to considering SRHR in all our humanitarian funding. We will support the provision of SRHR supplies and services through our partnerships and our global advocacy on SRHR preparedness and response.’

Another policy paper published elaborates that ‘Comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare includes obstetric and antenatal care for pregnant women, access to contraceptive information and services, including emergency contraception, clinical management of rape and post-exposure prophylaxis for prevention of HIV transmission, treatment of sexual transmitted infections, and access to safe abortion and post-abortion care.’

Notes:

Part of a longer press release at https://humanists.uk/2022/12/02/government-backtracks-to-support-global-abortion-rights/

December 7, 2022