Global Alliance Demands Radical Overhaul of Legal Systems to Secure Equal Rights for Women.
As the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) unfolded in March 2026, the halls of international diplomacy vibrated with a sense of unprecedented urgency. While the milestone anniversary of the Commission served as a moment for reflection, the prevailing atmosphere was one of calculated resolve rather than celebration. Amidst this high-stakes environment, the UN Women Leaders Network, in a strategic partnership with the Government of Iceland and the UN Foundation, hosted a pivotal side event that sought to address the foundational pillar of gender equality: the universal right to justice.
The event, titled “Women Leaders Paving the Way: Access to Justice for All Women and Girls,” served as a high-level crucible for ideas, bringing together a diverse assembly of emerging activists and seasoned stateswomen. Their objective was clear: to dissect and dismantle the structural barriers that continue to leave millions of women and girls outside the protection of the law. In a world where legal frameworks are often designed by and for men, the participants argued that justice is not merely a legal concept, but a prerequisite for any meaningful progress in education, economic participation, and physical safety.
The timing of this gathering on 11 March was no coincidence. CSW70’s primary focus—strengthening inclusive and equitable legal frameworks—comes at a moment when the global community is grappling with a volatile cocktail of rising inequality and democratic erosion. For many attendees, the discussion was a necessary response to a “backsliding” of rights that has seen hard-won protections for women under threat in various corners of the globe. From the rollback of reproductive rights to the persistence of discriminatory inheritance and property laws, the legal landscape for women in 2026 remains a patchwork of progress and peril.
Atifete Jahjaga, the former President of Kosovo and Founder of the Jahjaga Foundation, set a somber yet determined tone for the afternoon. Drawing on her extensive experience in post-conflict reconstruction and democratic transition, she reminded the audience that the stakes of this conversation extend far beyond the walls of the United Nations. “We couldn’t find a better moment to convene and to be here together than today,” Jahjaga remarked, her voice carrying the weight of contemporary global crises. “While the world is under fire, we are more than ever in need to unite, because women and children are the ones who are suffering the greatest consequences. And it is our moral obligation as leaders to join forces and respond.”
Jahjaga’s call for accountability resonated deeply with an audience that has witnessed how conflict and instability disproportionately strip women of their legal recourse. When judicial systems collapse or become co-opted by authoritarian interests, women are often the first to lose their standing in the eyes of the law. Her intervention underscored the reality that justice is not a luxury to be deferred until times of peace, but a vital infrastructure that must be fortified even—and especially—during times of upheaval.
The intergenerational nature of the panel provided a bridge between the institutional memory of established leaders and the innovative strategies of a new generation. İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu, a prominent human rights lawyer and UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), challenged traditional notions of institutional strength. In a powerful rebuttal to the cliché that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, Eskitaşçıoğlu proposed a more modern, networked approach to justice. “Leaders must start rewarding connected accountability,” she asserted. “They say that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I do not agree with that. A chain is as strong as how well-linked and how well-connected it is.”
Eskitaşçıoğlu’s perspective highlighted a shift in how younger activists view legal reform. For this generation, justice is not just about the text of the law, but about the “connectivity” of the systems that enforce it. It involves the integration of technology, the transparency of data, and the creation of social safety nets that ensure a survivor of violence or a victim of labor exploitation is not lost in the gaps between different government agencies.
The economic dimensions of legal equity were brought to the forefront by Shantel Marekera Chakara, representing the World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law programme. Her work focuses on the tangible, data-driven ways in which laws dictate the economic destinies of women. For Chakara, the absence of justice is most clearly felt in the mundane, daily decisions that women are forced to make when the law fails to protect them.
“For me, access to justice means women and girls not having to think twice about making basic decisions,” Chakara explained. She painted a vivid picture of the invisible barriers created by inequitable legal systems, asking whether a woman can “walk safely to work,” “access education,” or expect “the same pay” as her male counterparts. Her remarks served as a reminder that when women lack legal protection against harassment or are denied the right to own land or open a bank account, the entire global economy suffers. Access to justice, in this context, is the ultimate “enabler” of economic empowerment.
The panel was expertly steered by Yasmeen Hassan, a human rights lawyer and the former Global Executive Director of Equality Now. Hassan, who has spent decades fighting to repeal discriminatory laws worldwide, emphasized that the fight for justice requires a cross-sectoral offensive. The legal profession, she suggested, cannot work in a vacuum; it requires the pressure of activists, the data of researchers, and the political will of policymakers to effect lasting change.
As the discussion moved toward its conclusion, the focus shifted from diagnosis to action. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a renowned lawyer, political activist, and the founder of Women in Leadership, delivered a stirring call for a departure from traditional diplomacy. Known for her uncompromising advocacy, Mos-Shogbamimu argued that the slow pace of institutional reform is no longer acceptable. “I believe in mass mobilization,” she declared. “Access to justice has to be achieved unconventionally. It has to be achieved in untraditional ways because that is where we ought to be today.” Her words served as a rallying cry for “unconventional” methods—including grassroots organizing and digital activism—to bypass the bureaucratic hurdles that often stall legal progress.
The event reached its emotional and strategic crescendo with the closing remarks of UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. Reflecting on the diverse perspectives shared throughout the session, Bahous synthesized the day’s insights into a clear roadmap for the future. She bypassed vague platitudes in favor of a concrete list of requirements for a gender-responsive justice system.
“We know what works,” Bahous stated with conviction. She listed the essential components: integrated justice systems that don’t force victims to retell their stories to multiple agencies; legal services and aid that are accessible and free of charge; and robustly funded women’s organizations that serve as the frontline defenders of rights. Bahous also emphasized the modern tools of the trade, calling for “inclusive technologies and robust data” to track progress and identify where women are being left behind. Above all, she returned to the central theme of the session: “Women’s leadership, always, and in every space.”
The conclusion of the CSW70 side event left participants with a sense of shared responsibility. The consensus was unambiguous: advancing the cause of justice for women and girls is not a niche legal issue, but a global imperative that requires courageous, intersectional leadership. As the delegates returned to the main negotiations of the Commission, the message from the UN Women Leaders Network remained clear: the laws of the future must be written with the voices of women at the table, ensuring that the promise of “justice for all” finally includes every woman and girl, regardless of her geography or status.
In the days following the event, the dialogue sparked by these leaders continued to resonate across the UN headquarters. The call for “connected accountability” and “unconventional justice” provided a new framework for how member states might approach the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. As the 70th session of the CSW continues its work, the roadmap provided by Bahous and her fellow leaders serves as a critical guide for turning the aspiration of legal equality into a lived reality for women worldwide. The fight for justice, it was agreed, is far from over, but the path forward has never been more clearly defined.
