March 8, 2026 – Joint Regional Op-Ed for West and Central Africa by UN Women and UNODC

Making equitable justice a driver of transformation for women and girls in West and Central Africa

As we mark International Women's Day, it is clear that across West and Central Africa many women and girls continue to face legal, institutional and social barriers that li mit their access to justice and protection. 

Behind every woman or girl denied equitable access to justice are acts of violence that go unpunished, harms that remain unaddressed and rights that are not guaranteed. This reality cannot be ignored and calls for an urgent collective response. 

From the Sahel to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and across north-east Nigeria, complex crises highlight how fragile women's rights remain in the face of insecurity and prolonged displacement. These situations expose women to heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation and trafficking in persans. ln sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half of the identified survivors of trafficking in persans are girls, while women represent about one third of detected cases, primarily in situations of sexual exploitation and forced labour (UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking in Persans, 2024). 

At the same time, the absence of appropriate services, limited institutional capacity, geographic distance and the costs associated with legal processes significantly restrict the ability of women and girls to claim their rights and obtain reparation. These realities undermine their livelihoods, economic empowerment and the establishment of functioning protection mechanisms within communities. 

ln addition, setbacks observed in gender equality, sometimes fuelled by disinformation and online violence, remind us that progress in human rights can never be ta ken for granted. 

Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the International Conference on Population and Development, the persistent gap between commitments and mobilized financing must be closed to secure sustainable progress. Despite overall increases in funding dedicated to gender equality, of the USD 30.9 billion pledged to advance women's economic justice and rights, only USD 27.4 billion have been secured (UN Women, 2024, Generation Equality Accountability Report). This shortfall weakens women's access to equitable justice and effective protection mechanisms, allowing violence and impunity to persist. 

Yet it is precisely in this context that women's leadership emerges as a decisive means of leverage for transformation towards equitable justice in West and Central Africa. Mediators, human rights defenders, justice professionals and community leaders are transforming practices, opening access to decision-making spaces and shifting social norms to anchor equality within institutions and communities. 

We stand firmly a longs ide the women leading these changes. With our partners, we are strengthening more accessible institutions, consolidating reparation mechanisms, supporting reforms needed for equitable justice and addressing harmful practices and discriminatory social norms. 

ln a region with a predominantly young population, this is not a symbolic move. It is a strategic choice for stability and sustainable development. When a survivor is protected and heard, when a woman fully exercises her rights, when a young girl can visualize her future without obstacles or internal barriers to access to careers in justice, security or leadership, when a trained justice professional acts with expertise, and when men and communities commit to equality, the impact is tangible. 

This is why we call for an increased mobilization of measurable and innovative resources, commensurate with the ambitions of equitable justice, to ensure it becomes an irreversible reality for all women and girls across our region. 

Dr. Maxime Houinato 

Regional Director 

UN Women West and Central Africa 

Dr. Sylvie Bertrand 

Regional Representative 

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for West and Central Africa