Stories
In Focus: International Women’s Day 2026 in Asia and the Pacific
Date:
International Women’s Day 2026 (IWD 2026), under the theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”, marks a moment to amplify our collective determination. No matter how deeply rooted the sexism or how discouraging the politics, we refuse to step back or abandon our mandate. Instead, we climb together – for the rights and empowerment of all women and girls.
This year, IWD 2026 calls for action to dismantle the structural barriers to equal justice: discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms that erode the rights of women and girls.
The Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration
The Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration is jointly organized by ESCAP and UN Women, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand.
- To learn more: [click here]
- To attend live: [click here]
Updates
In videos
The Asia-Pacific Regional Commemoration | International Women's Day (Highlights)
The Path to Empowerment | Full documentary
Events in Asia-Pacific
8 March
- Issue a joint media statement with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, highlighting some key data on women's access to justice in Afghanistan
- Reinforce advocacy on Decree No. 12: Build on the Special Representative’s recent statement on the decree’s implications for women’s protection and rights.
- Publish a Gender Alert: Release a Gender Alert on Decree No. 12 that expands punishments (including corporal punishment and executions) and criminalizes dissent.
- Develop and roll out a cross-UN package: UN Women to lead a cross-UN advocacy and communications package, to be amplified across agencies.
- Deliver IWD events in Afghanistan (co-hosted by UN Women):
- Diplomatic roundtable on opportunities for women in the private sector.
- Internal event for UN staff.
Fiji MCO
23 January - 27 February
- “Say It LOUD” a Pacific-wide UN Women creative competition for International Women’s Day 2026, inviting artists to express women’s rights, justice and empowerment through song, poetry or spoken word, amplifying diverse voices and lived experiences of gender equality across the region.
9 March
- Announcement of Say it Loud winners (follow-up performance event and plans (TBC)
- (Samoa) UNRCO, in partnership with UN Women, UNDP and UNFPA, is convening a multi-agency International Women’s Day 2026 Breakfast
12 March
- Pacific UN Storytelling event: Pacific Voices for Rights.Justice.Action: Hybrid across the Pacific three RCOs in Fiji, Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia
- (Samoa) Women in Media engagement and workshop to discuss TFGBV
6 March
- One UN event organised to commemorate IWD 2026 Multi stakeholder dialogue and panel discussions Physical and Digital Exhibit of photo stories from UN agencies in India
8 March
- UN Women is supporting the Ministry of Women and Child Development for their day-long event at New Delhi
- She Builds Bharat film being developed for launch by the Minister
- UN Women participating in the MWCD walkathon
13 March
- “Ring the Bell” at The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
See also: