No Justice, No Peace

International Women's Day 2026 Theme: Rights, Justice, Action, For All Women & Girls

No Justice, No Peace

Why access to justice shapes everyday peace for women and girls

When the fighting, the bombing, and the sounds of gunfire stop, the first seeds of peace are planted. Everyday peace, however, is about what comes next. It is about the possibilities that emerge from the absence of violence, about turning dreams of the future into reality.

For millions of women and girls around the world, their dreams remain dreams. Seeking safety without fear and the ability to claim rights without retaliation, too often they are held back by limited access to justice. Because of this, peace remains fragile where justice is unequal, even in the quiet.

On 8^th March International Women's Day addresses the gender inequality in access to justice with its theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls". The signal is clear: women and girls' access to justice is no technical issue, it is a peace and security imperative.

Structural inequality amplified

Conflict does not create inequality from nothing. It exposes and amplifies structural injustices that already exist. Women hold only 64 per cent of the legal rights of men. These inequalities impact daily lives. It determines who can report violence, who can own or inherit land, and critically, who can expect to be protected by the law. The numbers tell a story of lack of hope and trust, as less than 40 per cent of women who experience violence seek help of any sort. Even when they are physically harmed, the judicial abandonment of women and girls is perpetuated by the lack of legal reforms and innovations. Today, many countries still lack consent-based legal definitions of rape, leaving survivors without meaningful legal recognition.

Besides, the imbalance between men and women's rights solidifies economically as well.  By the latest numbers, 44 per cent of countries do not mandate equal pay for work of equal value. This economic inequality increases women and girls' vulnerability to violence and exploitation.

In conflict and post-conflict settings, women's rights organizations document abuses, support survivors, and pursue accountability even when institutions do not. This is essential peacebuilding work, even when it is not labelled as such.

As the world marks International Women's Day 2026 and convenes at CSW70, the task has never been more urgent. Access to justice for women and girls has to be regarded as a peace and security issue. For the wellbeing of all women and girls around the world, jurisdiction must be reformed to ensure that institutions have the resources to enforce accountability.

Critically, these changes cannot be exchanged for symbolic gestures, as they are conditions for lasting peace. For all women and girls, peace is more than the absence of violence. It is the presence of justice, dignity, and equality, so that futures can be built and dreams can be chased.

(Information taken from WUNRN – Women’s UN Report Network)