International Women’s Day 2026: Why we should stand up for justice!

On International Women’s Day, Hayley Still calls us to take action for equality.

Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls. This is the UN’s theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (8 March), now in its 115th year. Today is not only an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements – it is also a galvanising moment to confront bias and discrimination and take action for equality.

This year’s focus calls for dismantling discriminatory laws, strengthening inadequate legal protections for women, and challenging harmful norms that undermine dignity. According to the UN, globally, approximately 52 per cent of countries lack consent-based legal definitions of rape, 71 per cent allow child marriage in all or some circumstances – an issue that disproportionately affects girls – and women hold only 64 per cent of the legal rights afforded to men. In all corners of the world, the law often disadvantages women.

Progress has been made. Women have fought for, and won, the right to vote, work and lead. More girls are in school, there are stronger laws against domestic violence, and digital activism is mobilising movements for justice.

Yet progress does not promise permanence. A global pushback is taking hold, with one in four countries reporting a backlash on women’s rights last year. Women and girls face widespread denial of justice and rights, from rape cases that never reach court to workplace harassment without consequences. Laws might exist, but they do not always provide protection – and the justice system itself can be a source of re-traumatisation and harm.

Scripture shows that justice is everyone’s business and an essential part of our discipleship. Justice is deeply interconnected with righteousness – right relationships with God and with one another.

Throughout the Bible, we see how God’s heart for justice embraces everyone, particularly the persecuted. The prophets implore us to ‘seek justice’ and ‘defend the oppressed’ (Isaiah 1:17). In Psalm 82, the psalmist charges us to ‘defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed’ (v3). And Micah 6:8 clearly sets the path we are to follow: ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’

Jesus echoed the prophets’ cries for God’s people to live lives of righteousness that uphold justice. When he called his followers to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39) he reaffirmed the instruction found in Micah. When he rebuked the Pharisees for neglecting justice and the love of God, he showed that upholding the Law must never be devoid of compassion. If our justice systems were infused with the radical love of Jesus, we would not see disparities in legal provision for men and women: we would see equality.

Actively oppressing others is not the only way of perpetuating injustice. When we remain silent or allow ourselves to benefit from injustices imposed by others, we become complicit. We are an informed generation, and we cannot claim ignorance of the world’s injustices.

The biblical mandate is clear: God’s people are to do justice, defend the oppressed and reject any teaching or practice that excuses domination or abuse in all aspects of life. Legal reform might feel out of our hands, but we can still have influence: in how we spend our money, how we vote, how we engage with those in power, and how we show up for women and girls.

Reflect and respond

• Read The Bible Doesn’t Tell Me So: Why You Don’t Have to Submit to Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control by the Rev Helen Paynter.
• Find out more about becoming a Restored Beacon church – join a network of churches that support and journey with survivors.
• Engage your whole corps with the Helping-Hand Appeal, which in 2026 is supporting the Army’s international Women and Girls projects.