UNITED NATIONS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Progress on gender equality has been driven by generations of women who refused to accept barriers placed before them, said Earle Courtenay Rattray, chef de cabinet to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking on behalf of the UN chief on Monday at the 2026 commemoration of International Women's Day.

Highlighting this year's theme "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls" at the United Nations' official commemoration organized by UN Women, Rattray warned that access to justice remains deeply unequal, with women and girls still holding only a fraction of the legal rights enjoyed by men.

"This moment right now demands action," he said, calling for discriminatory laws to be dismantled, justice systems strengthened to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable, and women's full participation ensured in leadership and decision-making.

"Gender parity is not only a moral imperative," he added. "It is essential for a more just, peaceful and sustainable future."

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, in her remarks, highlighted the stereotypes women leaders continue to face, from being labelled "too emotional" or "too ambitious" to being judged for how they dress or lead.

Calling on women to "flip the narrative," she said evidence shows societies benefit when women and girls are empowered.

"The facts are crystal clear," said Baerbock, noting that economies grow when girls stay in school, productivity rises when women join the workforce, peace agreements last longer when women are at the negotiating table, and when women lead institutions, they are more resilient.

"So ladies, it's time to flip the narrative," she said, calling for continued action until women and girls everywhere enjoy equal rights, representation and protection from violence, and until women are equally represented "in newsrooms, boardrooms, governments -- and at the helm of this institution, our United Nations."

Sima Bahous, UN under-secretary-general and UN Women's executive director, said International Women's Day brings together a movement rich in history yet profoundly contemporary, one that looks to a future of equality.

"A future and a present that are founded on rights, on justice, and, critically, a life free from violence, a life lived in peace. For all women and girls, everywhere," she said.

Bahous noted that International Women's Day is about change. "This year, it is for justice systems that are financed appropriately, serve women and girls equally, and recognize the rights of survivors. Justice systems that are founded on data and evidence, that embrace the opportunities while avoiding the risks of technology, and that are supported by the formidable energies of well-funded women's organizations and civil society."

She warned that despite the many strides forward toward equality and justice, for too many women and girls, "justice is selective, inaccessible, and denied. Globally, no country meets its duty of full legal equality for women and girls."

"Be in no doubt: equality is within our reach. It is close. And I believe all of us here will have the great good fortune not only to work for it, but to witness it, too," she added. ■