International Women’s Day 2026 places access to justice at the centre of the global agenda under the theme: “Rights. Justice. Action.” But for many women the path to protection does not start in a courtroom. It begins, and sometimes ends, with a brutal calculation.
Before making a report to the police, they must ask themselves:
"Is it safe?"
"Will anyone believe me?"
"Can I afford this?"
These are not abstract questions. They determine, every day, whether the system is approached at all.
Violence against women remains one of the most widespread human rights violations, with one in three women in the EU experiencing physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. Yet only 13.9% reported the most serious incidents to police, according to figures from the EU GBV survey.
“Violence against women is rarely a single event. For many women it happens repeatedly within intimate partnerships, where they should be safest,” says EIGE Director Carlien Scheele.
“When women do not report abuse, it is often because the justice system feels too unsafe, too costly or too uncertain to approach. That is why access to justice has become such a central focus this International Women’s Day.”
Florence Raes, Director of UN Women Brussels, agrees: “The vast majority of violence globally is committed by intimate partners. Home is the most dangerous place for a woman.
“It’s still largely and wrongly thought that violence happens outside the home. That’s where social norms and beliefs play against women.
“It’s not right, but often women may have to pack quickly and rush out of the home to save their lives. There, legislation and services are not as supportive as they should be.
“Even in Europe, we still don't have sufficient well-equipped centres to receive women victims of violence.”
The danger here is that justice for women falls at the first financial hurdle, exposing them to ongoing danger. So, underreporting is not indifference and rather a rational response to systems that still feel unsafe, costly or uncertain.
When justice simply feels out of reach
Even when women do report crimes of violence, another barrier looms. “The dimension which is most repulsive is that justice mostly fails,” says Florence.
The bravery of Gisèle Pelicot inspired millions when she waived her right to anonymity in a court case that led to rape prosecutions against her husband and dozens of other men.
But low conviction rates, lenient sentencing and drawn-out procedures discourage many from going to court.
“The sentences you hear are still very under what the penalty should be. They seem out of whack with the penalties for financial crimes. So, of course, women see their lives and safety as less valued.”
Trust in justice is also shaped not only by outcomes but by representation. It is harder to build when women rarely see themselves reflected at the highest levels.
Leadership of European courts remains overwhelmingly male. Neither the Court of Justice of the European Union nor the General Court has ever had a woman presiding judge. The European Court of Human Rights has had only one woman president.
In contrast, the European Chief Public Prosecutor has been a woman since the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2019.
These imbalances do not determine rulings. But they shape perceptions of whose authority defines justice.
What the data reveals about access to justice
Studies such as EIGE’s EU gender-based violence survey reveal scope and scale of the challenge faced by police and justice systems today.
The agency’s forthcoming report, “Behind the numbers: analysing police and justice data on intimate partner violence and domestic violence”, shows where we need to go from here.
It examines how Member States record and track cases.
But the absence of a specific offence of intimate partner violence in most Member States and the limited scope of police data obscures the full picture.
When definitions vary and recording practices differ, much of what happens after a report is filed is still difficult to trace. Without that, institutional accountability is harder to assess.
“Policymaking and the implementation of it still under-evaluates the phenomena. We need good data,” says Florence.
Without evidence, it becomes easier to assume the problem is smaller than it is.
Why core justice principles still matter for women’s rights
The focus on access to justice at this year’s International Women’s Day links to the work of the Commission on the Status of Women.
“The question of justice and what we do about it are front and centre for us,” says Florence.
“At a moment of backlash against women’s and girls’ rights and misinformation, this is about going back to the basics of the UN Charter and to the core values of the UN.
“Even within Europe, not everybody plays ball together when it comes to women’s rights and gender equality.”
Thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, many targets remain unmet. And new challenges, such as online violence, have emerged.
“Online violence is not taken seriously enough. The police are not equipped to deal with it and the legislation needs updating,” says Florence.
“That's also the objective for us on International Women's Day in terms of access to justice. We really need to beef up the legal frameworks to include online violence.
“Perpetrators feel safe behind their screens, while women feel increasingly isolated. Online quickly becomes real life, with real threats. This is why it needs dedicated measures.”
There are signs of progress. The Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence explicitly covers online abuse and must be transposed into national law by mid-2027. This week, the Council of Europe also adopted a new recommendation on accountability for tech‑facilitated violence against women and girls.
These commitments matter, but their impact will be judged by whether they are fully implemented, adequately resourced and sustained over time.
Turning justice into action
There are many reasons why tackling the reasons for women’s rights failing in our courtrooms should be a priority this International Women’s Day.
That’s because equal justice requires more than laws on paper. It requires systems women can afford, trust and safely use.
The challenge is not only to draft new promises, but to implement existing ones with adequate resources, accountability and transparency.
For Florence, the most significant change Europe could make to improve access to just is “funding”. She says: “We need to put a lot more money behind it.”
She believes the social and economic cost associated with violence against women make investing in prevention and protection the only rational choice.
EIGE has extensive research on the impact of violence. And Director Carlien notes that its consequences extend far beyond the immediate harm.
“Violence against women and domestic violence cost the EU around €366 billion every year,” she says. “It’s not only a violence issue. It’s also a public health, social and economic issue.”
Florence adds: “Even in times of budget constraints, it's a smart investment. You will have safer citizens and more productive workers.”
EIGE will continue to provide accurate, comparable data to help EU policymakers with informed judgments so they can make justice something women can rely on, rather than something they have to question.
