Despite decades of progress, women around the world still enjoy only about 64 percent of the legal rights available to men, according to a new United Nations report.
The report, titled “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls,” warns that gender equality under the law remains out of reach globally, with many legal systems still failing to adequately protect women and girls.
It highlights troubling realities: more than half of countries do not define rape based on consent, nearly three out of four nations still allow child marriage, and 44 percent of countries lack laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.
In many parts of the world, women still face legal barriers to owning property, seeking divorce, passing citizenship to their children, or even working and travelling freely without a husband’s permission.
According to UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, the consequences of denying justice to women go far beyond individual cases.
“When women and girls are denied justice, public trust erodes, institutions lose legitimacy, and the rule of law itself is weakened,” she said.
The report also warns of growing setbacks, including the rollback of women’s rights in some countries and the rise of new threats such as digital abuse and conflict-related sexual violence.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that women’s rights are human rights and urged stronger global support for women’s movements and justice reforms.
He noted that ensuring justice for women and girls is essential to building fairer and stronger societies worldwide.
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