As the United Nations approaches its landmark 80th anniversary, the global community finds itself at a profound crossroads. The organization, founded in the aftermath of global devastation with the promise of “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all,” is revisiting its core identity. At the heart of this reflection is a fundamental, unwavering truth that has served as the bedrock of modern progress: women’s and girls’ rights are not a separate category of privileges, nor are they secondary concerns to be addressed only when peace is secured or economies are stable. They are human rights in their most essential form—non-negotiable, non-optional, and entirely unconditional. In the current global climate, these rights are increasingly described as the “everyday essentials” of a functioning society, as vital as the air we breathe and as necessary as the food we eat.
However, the celebration of eight decades of international cooperation is tempered by a sobering reality. Around the world, the framework of human rights is under unprecedented strain. The progress that was fought for over generations is currently facing a coordinated and multi-front assault. From the brutal realities of active conflict zones to the subtle, systemic erosion of legal protections in peaceful nations, the safety and dignity of women and girls are being systematically undermined. This is not merely a series of isolated incidents; it is a global trend fueled by a toxic mix of discrimination, economic injustice, and the rise of sophisticated new forms of violence that bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds.
The modern landscape of gender-based violence has expanded in ways that the founders of the UN Charter could scarcely have imagined. While physical violence remains a pervasive threat, the rise of online harassment, digital stalking, and the weaponization of artificial intelligence against women has created a new frontier of fear. This digital violence often acts as a precursor or a companion to offline harm, yet legal systems frequently struggle to keep pace with these technological shifts. When women are silenced online, their participation in public life, politics, and the economy is stifled, leading to a direct erosion of their fundamental rights.
Perhaps most distressing is the persistent culture of impunity that surrounds the most heinous crimes against women. In many jurisdictions, sexual violence and femicide—the intentional killing of women because they are women—continue to go unpunished. The statistics are a haunting reminder of a broken social contract: in some regions, the majority of gender-based crimes never reach a courtroom, let alone result in a conviction. This lack of accountability is often codified into law through archaic or discriminatory provisions. We continue to see “honour” crimes treated with reduced penalties, a practice that suggests a woman’s life is worth less than a perceived social stigma. Forced marriage, systemic corruption within the judiciary, and the persistence of harmful gender stereotypes among law enforcement further alienate women from the very systems meant to protect them.
Human rights frameworks were originally designed specifically to prevent this kind of erosion. They were meant to be the guardrails of civilization. But the global community is learning a hard lesson: without the rule of law and robust mechanisms for accountability, these rights remain little more than ink on paper. They are promises rather than guarantees. For a woman living in a state where justice is inaccessible, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights offers little comfort. For her, the “everyday essential” of safety is a luxury she cannot afford.
This struggle for legal recognition and enforcement finds its historical anchor in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As we approach the 30th anniversary of this landmark agreement, its vision remains more relevant than ever. In 1995, the Beijing Declaration reaffirmed that women’s and girls’ full human rights are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights. It was a moment of global consensus that set an ambitious agenda for gender equality. Yet, three decades later, the task of fully delivering on that vision remains unfinished. The gap between the aspirations of Beijing and the lived reality of millions of women remains a chasm that can only be bridged by a renewed commitment to justice.
Central to this renewed effort is the concept of “Access to Justice.” It is the critical mechanism that transforms high-level international commitments into tangible, daily protections. Access to justice means that when a woman’s rights are violated, she has a clear, safe, and effective path to redress. It means that laws are gender-responsive, that courtrooms are free from bias, and that legal aid is available to those who need it most. Without access to justice, the fight for gender equality is stalled at the gates of the courthouse. It is the missing link that ensures laws against domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and unequal inheritance are actually enforced.
Looking ahead, the international community is preparing for the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), scheduled for 2026. This session is poised to be a watershed moment for the global gender equality movement. Its primary focus will be on the twin pillars of ending discriminatory laws and strengthening access to justice worldwide. The goal is to move beyond rhetoric and focus on the technical and political work of legislative reform. This means identifying and repealing laws that still treat women as second-class citizens—laws that restrict their movement, their right to work, or their control over their own bodies—and replacing them with frameworks that actively promote and protect equality.
In anticipation of these global milestones, UN Women is already working on the ground to turn these high-level promises into measurable progress. One of the most effective tools in this arsenal is the Gender Justice Platform. This initiative recognizes that legal reform is not just about writing new laws, but about ensuring that people can actually use them. Last year alone, the platform enabled more than 125,000 individuals to access justice services that would otherwise have been out of reach. These are 125,000 stories of women and girls who were able to seek protection, claim their rights, and demand accountability.
The impact of this work is visible in the 77 legal reforms supported by UN Women in the past year. These reforms are not mere tweaks to existing statutes; they represent fundamental shifts in the legal landscape of diverse nations. In Mexico, for instance, the support led to the strengthening of constitutional guarantees, ensuring that gender equality is woven into the very fabric of the nation’s highest law. In Albania, the passage of a comprehensive gender equality law has set a new standard for the region, providing a roadmap for how modern states can codify fairness.
The reforms extend to specific protections against violence in countries where such safeguards were previously weak or non-existent. In Bahrain, Guyana, Honduras, Malaysia, and Mali, new legislative measures have been implemented to provide stronger protections for women facing domestic and systemic violence. These reforms represent a growing global consensus that violence against women is a public matter that requires a robust state response, rather than a private issue to be settled behind closed doors. In Mali and Honduras, specifically, these changes come at a time of significant social and political transition, proving that even in the most challenging environments, the pursuit of justice is possible.
As we observe Human Rights Day, the world is reminded that these rights are not just idealistic goals; they are the very foundation of peace, stability, and sustainable development. A society that denies rights to half its population is a society built on an unstable foundation. Conversely, when women have access to justice, they are more likely to participate in the workforce, more likely to lead in their communities, and better equipped to raise the next generation of citizens. Justice for women is, quite literally, justice for everyone.
The journey toward full gender equality is long, and the obstacles are many. Yet, the momentum is building. On this Human Rights Day, the call to action is clear: we must move with purpose and urgency. We must secure dignity, equality, and justice for every woman and girl, not as a future goal, but as an immediate necessity. The “everyday essentials” of human rights must be guaranteed for all, ensuring that the next 80 years of the United Nations are defined by the realization of the promises made in its first.
