International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026: Media and Justice Actors Call for Action to Close the Justice Gap for Women and Girls

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), in partnership with UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa (RBESA), convened a Media&Legal Café in Nairobi under the global theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.”

The Café brought together media professionals, legal practitioners, refugee-led and women-led organizations, civil society actors, and survivors to examine persistent barriers to justice—particularly for women and girls affected by conflict, displacement, and violence.

Opening the dialogue, Idil Absiye, Regional Policy Advisor for Women, Peace and Security at UN Women ESARO, underscored the urgency of transforming justice systems that continue to fail women and girls. She highlighted the widening global justice gap and the critical role of media and legal actors in advancing accountability, shifting harmful narratives, and ensuring survivors are believed and supported.

A powerful testimony by Jacqueline Mutere of Grace Agenda, a survivor of Kenya’s 2007–2008 post-election sexual violence, grounded the discussions in lived experience. She shared the long and painful journey survivors continue to face in their pursuit of reparations and recognition, reminding participants that justice delayed remains justice denied—especially for women and children born of conflict-related sexual violence.

Media leaders and journalists reflected on their responsibility to report ethically and amplify women’s voices without causing harm. Panelists emphasized the need for survivor-centered storytelling, protection of identities, and inclusive representation—particularly of refugee and marginalized women—both in the media and in policy spaces.

The panelists also examined gaps in existing legal frameworks, noting that while innovations such as GBV courts and digital case-tracking have improved access, patriarchal laws, documentation barriers, and systemic exclusion continue to obstruct justice for many women.

Fatima Mohammed Cole, Head of Bureau Protection and Solutions Service at UNHCR RBESA, called for justice systems that go beyond laws on paper to deliver dignity, safety, and redress in practice—especially for displaced and stateless women and girls.

The IWD 2026 Media&Legal Café reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to survivor-centered justice, inclusive participation, and strategic partnerships that turn rights into action—and action into lasting change.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Women – Africa.