70% of Countries Still Have Laws That Block Women From Equal Justice

No country on Earth has achieved full legal equality for women and girls. Not one.

A UN Women report released March 7 found that nearly 70% of countries still have laws blocking women from equal access to justice. Property restrictions. Inheritance barriers. Inadequate protection from violence. The systems meant to protect women aren't working — and backlash against gender equality is making it worse.

The Pay Gap Doubles Over a Career

Women start their careers earning 12% less than men. Within ten years, that gap hits 19%. A Glassdoor report released March 6 tracked how the disparity widens with time — even within the same roles, the gap grows from 0% to 4%.

The UK launched voluntary pay gap action plans on March 4. Employers with 250+ staff can now publish strategies alongside mandatory pay data starting April 2026. Britain's current gap: 8.3%.

LGBTQ women get hit twice. A YouGov survey found LGBTQ workers in the UK earned 16% less than peers — stacked on top of the baseline gender gap.

Violence Goes Untracked

Half of Brazil's femicide cases happen in small cities — under 100,000 people. Only 5% of those cities have women's police stations. Just 3% have domestic violence shelters.

Brazil launched new national protocols for tracking femicide this week. The Health Ministry plans 4.7 million psychological consultations in 2026 for women experiencing violence. It's the most aggressive tracking effort in the country's history.

In the EU, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Most never report it. 87% of countries have domestic violence laws on the books, but social pressure keeps survivors silent.

France Calls Online Masculinism a Security Threat

France's High Council for Gender Equality did something no other government has done. In its 2026 report, it classified online anti-feminist movements as a public safety threat.

The council also flagged AI bias. Too few women are involved in building AI systems, and the algorithms show it. The European Commission followed up March 5 with a new Gender Equality Strategy covering digital spaces and AI governance through 2030.

Reproductive Rights Under Pressure Everywhere

Human Rights Watch warned March 6 that US abortion restrictions since 2022 are causing preventable deaths. State-level bans force providers to navigate conflicting laws while patients face real health risks.

South Korea sentenced a woman to three years in prison (suspended for five) on March 4 for a later-term abortion. Amnesty International condemned the ruling and called for legal reform.

Indonesia's new criminal code, effective 2026, criminalizes abortion except for rape (within 14 weeks) or medical emergencies. East Timor goes the other direction — its August 2026 penal code will explicitly allow abortion when the mother's life is at risk.

Women Hold 16% of Seats in the Middle East

The Middle East and North Africa have the lowest rate of women in parliament: 16.2% on average. Global progress on women's political participation has stalled.

Ghana launched a National Gender Policy through 2034 on March 5, aiming to get more women into elections and leadership.

Over 40 countries strengthened constitutional protections for women in the past decade. But laws without enforcement don't change much. Victim-blaming, fear, and community pressure still keep survivors quiet.