A more equal future is possible – If we act now

Image credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown

On July 17, leaders from governments, international organizations, and civil society gathered at UN Headquarters for the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) side event, Accelerating Equality in Law for Women and Girls. Hosted by Equality Now and co-sponsored by UN Women, IDLO, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law, Women, Business and the Law of the World Bank,  and the Permanent Missions of Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, and Spain, the event brought urgent attention to one unignorable truth: legal equality for all women and girls is a win for everyone.

Despite some progress, over 2.5 billion women and girls are still denied equal rights under the law. At the current pace, full legal equality is 300 years away. But the message from this event was clear: we don’t have to wait that long – and we shouldn’t.

Law as a lever for liberation

A powerful short film opened the session, imagining a future in which equality in law has been achieved. Headlines from 2050 celebrated a Nobel-winning team of Zambian women engineers and a global drop in conflict due to women’s leadership in peace processes. It showed us, as Equality Now Global Executive Director Mona Sinha said, “a future where equality in law is a reality, where constitutional equality is the norm, and where women’s leadership shapes a more just world.” But this wasn’t speculative fiction – it was grounded in what we already know: legal reform unlocks progress across every sector.

Speakers underscored how discriminatory laws are not just outdated – they are active barriers to peace, prosperity, and justice. Whether in labor law, family law, or nationality rights, the impact of inequality is measurable and harmful. Conversely, countries that have reformed their laws – like Kyrgyzstan, which removed over 400 discriminatory job restrictions – are seeing tangible social and economic benefits.

Catherine Harrington of the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights acknowledged that opponents to change raise many different fears, but said “The world hasn’t fallen apart because women have equal citizenship rights. In fact, sustainable development has been supported.”

Change is possible, and it’s happening, though more is needed

As panelist Hikaru Yamagishi, an economist with the World Bank’s Women Business and the Law project, noted, data-driven legal reform not only advances rights – it drives economic growth. But how can it be done, practically speaking?

Member state representatives spoke about the changes their governments have achieved, the keys to their success, how they’re approaching what still needs to be done, and what they see as the path forward. Bakyt Sydykov, Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, described how the labor law reform was approached in his country: “When reforms are grounded in nationwide dialogue, aligned with international standards, and implemented in partnership with all segments of society, they can succeed.

The Philippine Constitution enshrines and recognizes the vital role of women, said Noel Mangaoang Novicio, Minister, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations who pointed out that his country has elected two women to the highest office in government. But he said, despite the fact that gender equality is “robust and thriving” in the Philippines, progress musn’t stagnate, and “there are still areas for improvement”, which is why the Philippine Commission on Women collaborated with IDLO, and UN Women to conduct an assessment and produce a report with “recommendations for the repeal, amendment, or reform of existing [discriminatory] laws.”    

Sergio Colina Martín, General Director for Sustainable Development Policies of the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, spoke about his government’s efforts to close the “gap between what’s written in law and what people experience in their daily lives” when it comes to gender equality. He highlighted the country’s new Feminist Cooperation Strategy, which is built around the pillars of rights, representation, resources, and alliances, emphasizing the importance of “gender-sensitive budgeting and strategies to increase public investment in policies that have the greatest impact on gender equality.” 

Tools, evidence, and allies are available

Practical tools exist, as highlighted by many of the speakers. From the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law reports to UN Women’s Equality in Law by 2030 strategy, lawmakers don’t have to start from scratch. One example of the support available to decision-makers is this set of draft articles on nationality rights to ensure gender equality – a model legislative framework created by legal experts and advocates.

As Paddy Torsney, the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Permanent Observer to the UN and a former parliamentarian herself, said, “good reforms require more than good intentions. They require deliberate effort,” and active support. 

And support is growing. Partnerships across sectors – between civil society, parliaments, youth networks, and multilateral bodies – are making coordinated reform efforts more achievable than ever.

A call to urgent action

From the Philippines, to Kyrgyzstan, to Spain, national examples showed that reform is not only possible – it’s happening. What’s needed now is political will, adequate funding, and a refusal to accept slow progress as inevitable. As UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous declared, “Legal equality is not a dream. It is a decision.”

Join the movement

This event made one thing clear: we all have a role to play. Whether you’re a policymaker, activist, or student, you can:

• Advocate for the repeal of discriminatory laws in your country
• Use tools like Equality Now’s Words & Deeds report to spotlight where change is still needed
• Support grassroots feminist movements leading the charge on legal reform

The world will be better, fairer, and freer when gender equality in law is not the exception, but the rule. Let’s make it happen – not in 300 years, but now.