On International Women’s Day 2026, we stand with women and girls around the world to demand what should never be conditional: equal rights and equal justice to enforce, exercise, and enjoy those rights.

Today, no country has achieved full legal equality for women. Globally, women hold only 64 percent of the legal rights that men do. At the current pace of reform, it could take generations to close this gap. This reality underscores why the theme for International Women’s Day 2026 — Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls — is both urgent and necessary.

Rights on paper are not enough. Justice must be real, accessible, and enforced. It must protect women and girls from violence, discrimination, and exclusion, and ensure that institutions serve people with dignity, fairness, and accountability.

Sexual and gender-based violence remains a significant challenge in the country.  

The lack of protection against threats, retaliation and intimidation prevents women from pursuing a focal justice process. The lengthy judicial process, which is often riddled with complexities and lacks clarity, also adds to under-reporting.  Women are often frustrated, disappointed, and at times, lose trust in the institutions.

We have learnt that on average, it takes up to 12 years to dispense justice for survivors of sexual gender-based violence. In Sri Lanka, the pursuit of justice is deeply connected to the lived experiences of women and girls — particularly those facing barriers due to violence, poverty, disability, displacement, or marginalization. In my conversations with stakeholders and communities from across the island, I have seen firsthand that access to justice is not only a legal issue; it is a development imperative. Justice delayed is justice denied, and without justice, inequality deepens. Trust in institutions erodes. And incremental progress cannot be sustained.

At UNDP Sri Lanka, advancing gender-responsive justice is central to our belief and action. We work alongside national institutions, civil society, and communities to strengthen pathways to justice for women and vulnerable groups — particularly victim survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). This includes supporting survivor-centred justice responses, strengthening service delivery and shelter systems, and promoting approaches that place dignity, safety, and agency at the centre.

Justice also extends beyond the courtroom. Economic empowerment is a critical pathway to long-term safety, independence for women and opportunities to make their own decision. UNDP supports initiatives that link access to justice with livelihoods, skills development, and economic recovery — helping women build their lives, reduce the risk of revictimization, and exercise real choice over their futures.

Systemic change requires leadership. UNDP Sri Lanka continues to support efforts that strengthen women’s participation and leadership in Parliament, local government, and justice institutions, recognizing that inclusive decisionmaking leads to more responsive and equitable outcomes for society as a whole.

This year also marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer, providing an important opportunity to highlight the rights, contributions, and leadership of women across agrifood systems. Women farmers are central to food security, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods — yet often face unequal access to land, finance, and services. Justice, in this context, means ensuring that women’s rights are protected across every sector and every community.

International Women’s Day is not only a moment of reflection- it is a call to action.

UNDP Sri Lanka remains committed to working with partners across government, civil society, and communities to turn commitments into action and to ensure that justice works for all women and girls, everywhere.

Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.

Azusa Kubota 
Resident Representative 
UNDP in Sri Lanka