Our Message for International Women’s Day

Every year, International Women’s Day offers an opportunity not only to celebrate the achievements of women and girls but also to reflect on the work that still lies ahead. 

Despite decades of progress, no country in the world has yet achieved full legal equality for women and girls. Legal frameworks are essential, but justice cannot exist in isolation from resources. Support services such as safe accommodation, counselling, legal aid, specialist organisations and community outreach programmes are critical to ensuring women’s safety and recovery yet many remain chronically underfunded. 

In the United Kingdom, the government has committed to tackling violence against women and girls and has set an ambitious target to halve violence within a decade. While increased funding has been announced, many frontline organisations continue to face short-term and fragmented commissioning. Specialist services, including community-based organisations, are often operating under high pressure as demand and case complexity continue to grow. 

Globally, the situation is concerning too. In some contexts, hard-won rights are being challenged or rolled back. In Iraq, proposed amendments to 1959 Personal Status Law have raised serious concerns among human rights organisations about the protection of women and girls, as its provisions effectively allow child marriages giving extensive authority to clerical courts. In Afghanistan, women and girls continue to face severe restrictions on education, employment and public life. In Iran, women have been at the forefront of movements calling for dignity and fundamental freedoms despite facing significant risks. 

At the same time, violence against women and girls remains widely under-reported across the world. Survivors often face stigma, fear and systemic barriers when seeking justice, while emerging forms of violence, such as online abuse, are increasingly affecting women and girls but remain insufficiently addressed. 

Women’s organisations and frontline services continue to play a vital role in responding to these challenges. This International Women’s Day, the message is clear: commitments must translate into action.