You can’t fix what you refuse to see— James Baldwin

On 8 March 2026, the United Nations marks International Women’s Day under the theme: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.”

The focus this year is on enforceable rights, accessible justice, and tangible structural change. It also emphasises inclusion — not progress for some women, but for all.

Yet in trying to fix the many things which impede the progress of women we must ask:

Are we measuring the right things?

Too often, our metrics focus on activity rather than impact, participation rather than justice, and policies rather than lived outcomes. If our measurement systems do not reflect rights and justice in practice, we risk celebrating progress without real change in conditions.

What the 2026 Theme Really Demands

The theme contains four clear expectations:

• Rights must be exercised in practice, not just written into law.
• Justice must be accessible, timely and equitable.
• Action must dismantle barriers.
• For ALL means our efforts must be spread through all areas of our societies and at all levels.

Where Traditional Measurement Falls Short

1. Monitoring Inputs Instead of Outcomes

Organisations commonly track the number of policies introduced or training sessions delivered. These are inputs. They do not tell us whether rights are enforced or justice is achieved.

More meaningful indicators might include:

• Time taken to resolve complaints of bullying, harassment and discrimination
• Proportion of complaints upheld after investigation
• Whether affected women perceive the process as fair

That is justice in action.

2. Relying on Averages

Overall pay gap figures or participation rates can obscure serious disparities. An average may improve while inequality persists in senior leadership, income security, or access to flexibility.

The commitment to “ALL women and girls” requires disaggregated data — by race, age, disability, contract type, location and level — so that hidden gaps become visible.

3. Measuring Activity Over Impact

Events, awareness days and training sessions are frequently reported as achievements. But did they change grievance outcomes? Did they alter promotion patterns? Did they reduce systemic barriers?

Without outcome tracking, these events and occurrences are merely virtue signalling.

4. Ignoring Process Fairness

Justice is not just about outcomes; it is about process.

We should ask:

• Are complaints heard promptly and time-tracked?
• Is legal redress affordable and accessible and are the costs to complainants determinable?
• Are women represented in decision-making bodies and, if so, what are the ratios?

Rights on paper mean little without functioning systems.

What Better Measurement Looks Like

If we take the 2026 theme seriously, measurement must move beyond symbolic metrics.

1. Access to Rights

Track whether protections are usable in practice:

• Uptake and approval rates of parental leave and flexible work
• Barriers faced in accessing legal remedies
• Disparities in enforcement outcomes

2. Justice System Performance

Measure:

• Resolution timelines
• Consistency of decisions
• Perceived fairness and psychological safety

3. Structural Change Indicators

Monitor removal of discriminatory practices, accountability mechanisms tied to leadership incentives, and compliance standards across supply chains.

4. Agency and Empowerment

Include measures of economic security, leadership participation and freedom from violence. These reflect whether rights translate into lived autonomy.

From Symbolism to Accountability

International Women’s Day 2026 is not a call for more programmes. It is a call for enforceable rights, functioning justice systems, and structural action that benefits all women and girls.

The question “Are we measuring the right things?” reaches the core of our willingness and commitment to understand the impediments which hold women back and to correct the inequities which are inflicted on women across the globe.

Aligning measurement with “Rights. Justice. Action.” has three practical implications:

• Metrics must be meaningful, not superficial.
  Easy numbers rarely expose systemic issues.
• Data must drive decisions.
  Leaders should be able to identify what will change next quarter because of what the data shows.
• Measurement must be inclusive by design.
  Intersectional analysis is central.

When measurement reflects real rights, real justice and real action, the theme becomes more than a slogan. It becomes accountability.