Human Rights Council 61st session
Joint Statement on International Women’s Day
Delivered on 6 March 2026

Mr. President,

I speak on behalf of Finland, Mexico and a cross regional group of 74 states.

For over a hundred years, International Women's Day has marked both progress made and the ongoing challenges facing women and girls worldwide.

In line with the CSW70 priority theme for 2026, let us highlight that access to justice is vital for safeguarding and advancing substantive gender equality and the human rights of all women, adolescents and girls.

Across the globe, women and girls continue to face systemic and structural barriers to access justice — including discriminatory laws, gender bias within justice systems, lack of legal representation, language and economic obstacles, and fear of retaliation. These barriers are further compounded for women facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as women with disabilities, Indigenous women, older women, migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee women, women of African descent and women belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. In conflict and post‑conflict settings, women and girls face heightened risks of human rights violations and abuses, yet they are too often excluded from the justice processes meant to address these harms.

Although women participate in public life in increasing numbers, we highlight the persistent underrepresentation of women in the judiciary, particularly in higher courts and leadership roles. Diverse, gender-responsive judiciaries are essential to dismantling structural discrimination, ensuring trust in public institutions, and strengthening the rule of law. Women judges and judicial institutions that incorporate a gender perspective may also strengthen justice outcomes, reinforcing the legitimacy and credibility of justice systems, signaling that judicial institutions are open, representative, and accessible to everyone seeking justice.

We must also draw attention to girls, who face distinct, often under-recognized barriers to accessing justice. We look forward to General Comment No. 27 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on children’s right to access to justice and to an effective remedy. We must ensure that girls have equal and effective access to justice systems that respect their rights, agency and best interests.

Today, we call on the Human Rights Council and all States to place women’s and girls’ access to justice at the center of legal reform and accountability efforts, including by addressing impunity.

Thank you.