Each year on International Women’s Day, global attention turns to the progress and ongoing challenges in achieving gender equality. In the Arab States, this reflection comes amid escalating conflicts and crises that threaten to undo hard-won development gains. These challenges deepen social and economic fragility, heighten insecurity, and exacerbate existing inequalities, with women and girls often bearing the heaviest burden. Violence increases in times of crisis, essential services become harder to access, protection systems weaken, and legal remedies are often out of reach. Addressing women’s rights and gender justice during such uncertain times is critical, as these efforts lay the foundations for recovery and lasting peace.
Governments and advocates convening for the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women are assessing progress in strengthening access to justice, eliminating discriminatory laws, and addressing structural barriers. While some reforms have been made across the Arab States, the region remains off track, highlighting the need for sustained commitment. UNDP’s work in advancing women’s access to justice is guided by the Regional Gender Justice Framework, which focuses on four pillars: reforming laws, strengthening gender-responsive institutions, expanding women’s access to justice, and transforming social norms that influence law implementation.
Discriminatory legal frameworks remain a major barrier to equality. While several Arab States have introduced reforms, many laws still limit women’s rights or fail to adequately protect them. These legal restrictions directly affect women’s daily lives, influencing their mobility, access to employment and business opportunities, property rights, and protection from violence. UNDP collaborates with governments and partners to support legal reforms aligned with international commitments, using initiatives like Gender Justice and the Law to highlight gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations. Amendments to dozens of legal provisions across multiple countries demonstrate that meaningful change is possible with political will and sustained advocacy.
Legal reform alone is insufficient without institutions capable of implementing these laws effectively. Justice and security institutions across the region remain largely male-dominated, and women are underrepresented in leadership roles, affecting case management, treatment of violence survivors, and overall accessibility. UNDP supports these institutions in adopting gender-responsive policies, promoting women’s leadership, and fostering inclusive service delivery. In Algeria, collaboration with the Ministry of Justice is expanding opportunities for women judges, while a Regional Network of Arab Women Judges facilitates peer learning and mentorship across countries.
Even where laws and institutions exist, many women still face barriers to accessing justice due to distance, financial constraints, limited legal awareness, and distrust of formal systems. In fragile and conflict-affected contexts, informal or community-based mechanisms often handle disputes, but these systems can be influenced by social norms that restrict women’s rights. UNDP works to strengthen linkages between formal and informal systems, promote equitable practices, and raise awareness of women’s rights among community leaders and local justice actors. Initiatives like women-led community justice teams in Aden, Yemen, show how women’s leadership can expand access to justice in practice.
Gender justice is not merely a long-term aspiration but a development imperative. When women can claim their rights freely, societies become more resilient; when institutions reflect the diversity of the population, public trust grows; and when gender justice is standard rather than aspirational, foundations for peace, prosperity, and human dignity are strengthened for all. On this International Women’s Day, advancing rights, justice, and action for women and girls remains essential for sustainable development and lasting peace.
