New York - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) convened a high-level side event on the margins of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), titled “Pathways to Legal Reform for Gender Justice in the Arab States region”.

The event aligned with the session’s priority theme of strengthening access to justice for all women and girls with a focus on the Arab Region. region. Discussions explored trends in legal reforms advancing gender equality as a critical foundation for enhancing women’s access to justice. The dialogue drew on the findings of the UN joint Regional Gender Justice and the Law initiative which supports legislative and institutional reforms to align national laws in the Arab States with international women’s rights standards and address structural barriers to gender equality. The event also facilitated an exchange on the diverse pathways through which legal reforms unfold across countries and the value of regional approaches.

Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator, and Regional Director for Arab States at UNDP, said: “Equality before the law represents the cornerstone of justice in both stable and fragile contexts. If legal frameworks do not guarantee full equality, they undermine women's rights and their access to justice. This is because women's access to justice is not limited to the judicial system alone; its impact extends to all aspects of their lives”

Between 2023 and 2025, the initiative tracked the adoption of 27 new or amended legal provisions strengthening women’s legal status across several Arab States, based on its indicators . Notable reforms related to employment and economic benefits include the introduction of equal pay for work of equal value in Oman and Egypt, reinforcement of protection against workplace discrimination in Jordan, Somalia and Egypt, the lifting of restrictions on women’s employment in certain sectors in Jordan and Egypt, and the introduction of paternity leave in Bahrain and Oman. Legislative amendments also expanded the criminalization of sexual harassment at work (Jordan, Somalia) and strengthened legal protections for domestic workers (Egypt, Saudi Arabia Oman).

"Laws are essential for building equal societies in which women and men, girls and boys enjoy equal rights and access to their political, civil, economic, social, and cultural rights without discrimination," said Nada Darwazeh, Chief of the ESCWA Center for Women.

In the area of protection from violence, Bahrain and Kuwait repealed provisions that had exempted perpetrators from punishment in cases of marriage to the victim. National strategies to combat violence against women were also adopted in 2 countries, reflecting a stronger emphasis on protection.

“Legal reform is essential to ensuring that access to justice becomes a lived reality for women and girls. Across the Arab States, progress is possible when political will, inclusive consultations, accountability and strong partnerships come together… Continued regional cooperation, evidence based policymaking and sustained commitment are critical to ensuring that legal progress translates into real protection, opportunity and justice for women and girls across the region,” said Moez Doraid, Regional Director for the Arab States at UN Women.

The session also featured the Regional Gender Justice Portal and its interactive color-coded tool as practical references for policymakers and researchers.

Raya Alchukr, UNFPA Regional Desk for Arab States and West and Central Africa, said: “The Arab region has made remarkable strides, yet progress must accelerate to make gender justice a lived reality for every woman and girl. As we advance the ICPD agenda, we affirm that inclusive legal systems form the solid basis of healthy communities. Our mission is to transform legal commitments into tangible mechanisms that safeguard a woman’s dignity and her autonomous power to make health decisions free from coercion, thereby strengthening the resilience of our societies as a whole”.

Speakers from the State of Palestine, Morocco, Oman, Lebanon, and Jordan shared practical experiences on advancing legal reform in both stable and fragile settings, highlighting how challenges have been overcome, the vision for the future and underscoring the importance of cooperation between governments, civil society, justice institutions, and development partners.

Media Contact: 

UNDP | Rania Tarazi | Gender Team Leader | rania.tarazi@undp.org 

Ahmed Bazzoum | Communications Analyst | ahmed.bazzoum@undp.org

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