International Women’s Day: women hold just 64% of legal rights afforded to men worldwide — UN Women

Africa, Education, Health, International, Investigation, Politics

POLITICS (NPA) — March 8, 2026 — As the world commemorates International Women’s Day 2026, UN Women has raised alarm over the persistent global gap in legal rights between men and women.

In a statement on Saturday, the agency revealed that women currently hold only 64% of the legal rights afforded to men worldwide. This means that, on average, women are entitled to just two-thirds of the protections and opportunities guaranteed to men under the law.

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, urged global leaders to confront structural barriers to justice, including discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, harmful practices, and entrenched social norms that undermine the rights of women and girls.

The agency further noted that conflict and instability exacerbate these inequalities, leaving women and girls more vulnerable to violence, exclusion, and discrimination. Reports of violations have emerged from Nigeria’s northeast, northwest, and north-central regions, where insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, alongside banditry, have displaced communities and subjected women to abuse. The ongoing war in Sudan was also highlighted as a flashpoint for widespread violations of women’s rights in Africa.

In Nigeria, UN Women continues to push for gender equality by addressing violence against women, promoting women’s political participation, and supporting economic empowerment initiatives. However, progress remains slow, with women holding only 3.9% of parliamentary seats. The agency has warned that democracy itself is at risk if women remain excluded from decision-making processes.

Nigeria also faces high rates of gender-based violence, with one in three women aged 15–49 experiencing physical or sexual abuse. Harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) persist, further eroding women’s rights.

Beyond advocacy, UN Women’s programs in Nigeria include initiatives on economic empowerment, health, and social issues, with a particular focus on combating HIV/AIDS and supporting women’s access to education and vocational training.