That is the stark warning issued by UN Women ahead of International Women’s Day, and it’s a reminder that gender equality remains far from reality, not just socially, but in law.
According to the latest United Nations report, women globally hold only 64 per cent of the legal rights that men do. From equal pay and workplace protections to safety, marriage and bodily autonomy, the law continues to fall short for women and girls across the world.
One of the most alarming findings is that in 54 per cent of countries, rape is still not legally defined based on consent. In simple terms, this means a woman may be sexually assaulted and the law may still fail to recognise it as rape.
The report also highlights that in nearly three out of four countries, girls can still be forced into marriage under national law. Meanwhile, 44 per cent of countries do not legally mandate equal pay for work of equal value, which means women can still be paid less than men for the same work and it remains lawful.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, places the focus not only on awareness, but on accountability. Because while progress has been made, with 87 per cent of countries now having domestic violence legislation — laws alone are not enough.
Social stigma, victim-blaming, fear, cost, language barriers and a lack of trust in legal institutions continue to prevent women from accessing justice.
In conflict zones, the situation is even more urgent. Reported cases of sexual violence in conflict have risen by 87 per cent in just two years, underscoring how women’s bodies continue to be weaponised in war.
The larger issue is this: justice systems are still not built equally for women. When women cannot safely report violence, seek fair pay, access legal support or have their experiences recognised by the law, equality remains performative.
Women’s rights cannot exist only in speeches, campaigns or annual observances.They must exist in courts, workplaces, homes and policies.
Because equality in principle means very little without equality in practice.