The global decline in women's rights across the world was highlighted at a session held by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on International Law , Justice and Accountability and the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) in the United Kingdom's Parliament earlier this month. The session was hosted by IBAHRI Director Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC and other members of the House of Lords, including Baroness Liz Sugg, Baroness Fiona Hodgson and Lord Stuart Polak.
Speakers at the session highlighted their personal experiences and expertise about the subjugation of women and girls in several countries. Campaigner and survivor of forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) Payzee Mahmod testified that more needs to be done to address the prevalence of FGM and child marriage in the UK. In her estimation, people working in public services may not be adequately skilled and trained in identifying and responding to challenges faced by minority communities, which in effect may further endanger lives. 'We have millions of women and girls in the UK who are living with FGM but have never been asked,' she said. Ms Mahmod also referred to her sister's case, Banaz Mahmod, whose five pleas for help to the police were ignored before she was ultimately killed by her male relatives.
Jihyun Park, a British Korean politician who escaped from North Korea twice, urged the UK government to pay attention to violence against women in her home country, stressing that 'all over the world, no one cares about women and girls' rights in North Korea'. This sentiment was echoed by Dr Eva Khair, a British Sudanese doctor who advocated for increased attention to the ongoing genocide in Sudan, who said that the 'widespread use of sexual violence has been particularly devastating […] What we'd like to see is that the UK sees Sudan as worthy of its diplomatic cache.'
Other speakers addressed the links between women's rights and war in the Middle East. Sky News Correspondent Alex Crawford OBE said, 'given [Syria's] history, it would be pertinent for any government to be taking whatever is said by the Syrian authorities with a pinch of salt. Promises are not the same as action on the ground.' Zahra Joya, an Afghan journalist and founder of Rukhshana Media , emphasised the Taliban's lack of accountability for the 'gender apartheid' in Afghanistan where 'being a woman has become a structural crime.'
The Parliamentary session was held on 2 March 2026 during the week of International Women's Day.
