United Nations (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 11 Mar 2026) Reaffirming its unwavering dedication, Pakistan She told a key committee of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) that she had moved beyond legal reform alone and towards combating discrimination as a systemic barrier to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“Access to justice is not tested when laws are in place – it is tested when discrimination determines who can actually use them,” said Pakistani delegate, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, in a discussion during a ministerial roundtable on “Ensuring and Promoting Access to Justice for All Women and Girls,” as the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women entered its second day.
Participating in the discussion, leaders, government officials, civil society representatives and UN officials called for renewed efforts to dismantle the discrimination and legal obstacles that continue to limit the rights of women and girls around the world.
In her speech, Senator Bushra Butt said that the path to justice for millions of women and girls around the world is hampered not only by legal loopholes, but also by entrenched social, economic and institutional discrimination. Inheritance inequalities, barriers to mobility, exclusion from financial systems, workplace harassment, harmful customary practices, and discrimination within institutions, together shape whether access to justice is possible – or remains elusive.
“Based on constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity, Pakistan has worked to align its legislative framework with the lived realities of women – laws addressing honor killings, forced marriage, workplace harassment, domestic violence and sexual crimes are being implemented,” she said.
In Pakistan, Senator Bushra Butt said that initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Program have provided financial protection to millions of women, enhancing their ability to become economically empowered.
She said education stipends, skills development programs and digital inclusion initiatives are working to expand women’s awareness of rights and their confidence to demand them. Financial inclusion policies, women’s employment quotas, support for entrepreneurship and increased representation policy And other areas that ensure gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
I note that eliminating discrimination requires transformation on three fronts: laws that provide protection, institutions that achieve results, and societies that empower. “This calls for sustained investment in legal literacy, enforcement capacity, and victim and survivor services.”
The Pakistani delegate added: “Our commitment will not be measured by the laws that are enacted, but by the barriers that are dismantled – because only when every woman can stand before the law without fear or discrimination, will justice go from a promise to a reality.”
From 9 to 19 March, the Committee focused on the priority theme “Ensuring and enhancing access to justice for all women and girls”, including by strengthening inclusive legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws and addressing structural barriers that prevent women from claiming their rights.
In his opening remarks, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that despite decades of progress, inequality remains deeply entrenched.
“We still live in a male-dominated world and a male-dominated culture,” he said, stressing that gender equality “is – and has always been – a matter of power.
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He noted that women globally have only 64 percent of the legal rights enjoyed by men and that justice remains “an elusive dream for millions upon millions of women and girls.” He said that discriminatory laws and patriarchal norms continue to limit opportunities, while conflicts, climate change and widening inequality exacerbate the challenges.
“Justice for women and girls must be a cornerstone of the world we seek to build,” he told delegates.
Sima Bahouth, Executive Director of UN Women, warned that progress towards equality is moving too slowly, warning that the global gap in legal protection for women and girls may take centuries to close.
She said that the member states and partners gathered in the Commission represent “the most powerful constituencies,” adding that “this power is more than enough to make a difference, and more than enough to transform human lives.”
Given the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, she also noted that member states would soon face another historic choice.
“This year, delegates will elect a new Secretary-General,” she said. “We at UN Women would be proud to serve and work with Madam Secretary-General.”
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), established in 1946, is the principal intergovernmental body of the United Nations dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
Each year, the conference brings together governments and civil society representatives to assess global progress, formulate international standards, and agree on policy recommendations to advance women’s rights.
The Commission has played a key role in developing landmark frameworks such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, which remains the most comprehensive global agenda for gender equality.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the world no longer needed to discuss the importance of women’s rights, but rather why progress remained incomplete.
“After 70 sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women, and 30 years after the Beijing Declaration, we no longer need to discuss why women’s rights are important,” she said. “The real question is: Why are we still unable to deliver?”
She noted that globally, women only enjoy about two-thirds of the legal rights granted to men, adding that many countries still lack laws providing equal pay for equal work or protecting girls from child marriage.
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Lok Bahadur Thapa expressed concern that progress towards gender equality remains slow, stressing that legal reforms alone are not enough.
He added, “Equality is not achieved simply by passing laws alone.” “This is achieved when justice systems work on the ground – for every woman and every girl.”
He noted that the Committee plays a central role within the UN system, bringing together governments, civil society and international partners to promote gender equality and guide broader development efforts, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and future global reviews of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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