Justice takes centre stage: UN welcomes world’s largest women’s rights event

By R Anil Kumar

United Nations, March 6, 2026. Women have never been closer to equality and never closer to losing it, according to UN Women ahead of the start of the world’s largest gender equality gathering.

While this year’s International Women’s Day, marked annually on 8 March, focuses on justice, the systems meant to protect women and girls are failing, with millions exposed to discrimination, violence and impunity as the backlash against gender equality intensifies and violations of fundamental rights rise worldwide, according to a newly released report from UN Women.

Across the world, women still do not enjoy the same legal rights as men. Even though legal protection against domestic violence has expanded in many countries, the rights of women and girls are being rolled back in plain sight.

What’s happening at UN Headquarters?

Here are some of the events the UN is hosting at its Headquarters in New York and online this month:

Youth Forum: Voices without Borders

The CSW70 Youth Forum, Voices Without Borders, will take place at UN Headquarters on 8 March. The youth‑led global gathering will bring together 200 young feminists and allies to confront systemic injustices and champion bold, transformative solutions.

The meeting will include UN agencies and Member States and will blend storytelling with strategic dialogues.

Commission on the Status of Women

From 9 to 19 March, the world will gather at UN Headquarters in New York for CSW70, the United Nations largest annual forum dedicated to gender equality and women’s rights.

What happens at CSW influences laws, policies, funding and accountability across countries and generations.

This year’s focus is clear: rights, justice and action for all women and girls.

CSW70 is a defining test: whether the world choses to act together and deliver equality before the law for all women and girls or allow injustice to persist with impunity.

Opening remarks are expected by the CSW Chair, the presidents of the UN Secretary-General, General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) as well as civil society and youth representatives.

At the closing meeting on 19 March, delegates will review progress made during discussions on the priority theme, consider outstanding agenda items, adopt the session’s report and agreed conclusions while looking ahead to the work of CSW71.

UN observes International Women’s Day

The UN will observe International Women’s Day at 9am on 9 March 2026 in the iconic General Assembly Hall, immediately preceding the opening of CSW70.

Aligned with CSW70, the observance aims to elevate global attention to justice as the critical bridge between rights on paper and rights in practice.

Bringing together Member State delegations, global leaders, advocates, global voices and Goodwill Ambassadors, including US actor Anne Hathaway, the observance will serve as a high-visibility platform to galvanise leadership and concrete action towards ensuring equal access to justice for all women and girls.

Townhall with the UN Secretary-General and civil society

On 10 March, UN chief António Guterres will be meeting with the largest gathering of civil society at the United Nations and have a frank discussion on issues related to the advancement of gender equality and women and girls’ rights around the world.

The townhall-style meeting offers intersectional and intergenerational civil society a space to directly engage with the highest leadership of the United Nations and to ask questions, share recommendations and strengthen collaboration.

The role of parliaments:

Among a wide range of side events, on 11 March at UN Headquarters, the Role of Parliaments in Achieving Parity in Decision-Making and Ensuring Gender-Responsive Access to Justice for Women and Girls will provide an opportunity to bring a parliamentary perspective into CSW70 discussions on the priority and review themes and will also launch the latest Women in Politics Map, presenting new data for women in executive positions and national parliaments as of 1 January 2026.

Members of Parliament from around the world are expected to:

• share perspectives and practices on legislative, oversight and budgetary actions to achieve parity representation in decision-making
• eliminate discriminatory laws
• address gaps between legal frameworks and their implementation
• combat impunity for violence against women
• strengthen accountability and enforcement across justice systems

CSW high-level meeting on violence against women and girls

On 12 March at 10am, Member States will convene at UN Headquarters for the CSW High-level Meeting on Violence against Women and Girls.

It will be the first annual high-level meeting held during CSW under a new mandate to elevate critical cross-cutting priorities aimed at accelerating implementation of the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The meeting will highlight what works to prevent violence and strengthen survivor-centred responses – both online and offline – at a moment when progress remains too slow and technology is accelerating new harms.

Ministers and leading experts, including from women’s rights organizations and survivors from all five UN regional groups will share evidence, good practices with potential for scale-up and practical actions.

Women

Women held 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide as the year began – a 0.3 per cent increase from 2025, marking the slowest growth in nearly a decade, according to a new report from the UN-backed Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).