The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing and defending the fundamental rights of women and girls around the world as mounting evidence points to a concerning reversal of progress in multiple regions.
The last year has seen a significant U-turn when it comes to women's rights. The regression is a growing global phenomenon - one that risks entrenching inequality for generations. From legislative rollbacks to systemic discrimination, these developments are unfolding against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical instability, conflict and shifting international priorities. The IBAHRI cautions that the protection of women and girls must not be sidelined or diminished during these tumultuous times.
In Afghanistan the Taliban has introduced a new criminal procedure which includes provisions that further institutionalise the subjugation of women, normalise violence committed against them and effectively legalise forms of modern slavery. These measures only add to existing omni-present restrictions on women's rights in the country, alongside significant reductions in international funding for programmes supporting women and girls in Afghanistan.
Elsewhere, women in Iran continue to protest widespread human rights violations and repression committed by the Iranian state. In Iraq, reports indicate a rise in child marriage following the introduction of a concerning personal status law. In The Gambia, a group of religious leaders along with a member of the Parliament of The Gambia have launched efforts to overturn a ban on female genital mutilation at the country's Supreme Court.
Against this backdrop, the IBAHRI has intensified its global programme of work to address these challenges. In December 2025, the Institute announced a new partnership with the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU) for 2026 with a specific focus on sexual and reproductive violence. Over the course of this year, the IBAHRI will convene a series of high-level events spotlighting the rights of women and girls in countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine. These discussions will address critical themes such as the documentation of crimes, pathways to justice and accountability and assistance for victims and survivors.
At the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the IBAHRI co-organised - with Yazda , the Coalition for Genocide Response , the BGIPU and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P) - a side event examining the implications of the closure of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) for Yazidi women in Syria and Iraq.
The session, titled Justice Beyond UNITAD: Advancing Access to Justice for Yazidi Women and Girls , brought together legal experts, policymakers and survivors to explore avenues for accountability. Participants included: Dr Ewelina Ochab, an IBAHRI programme lawyer; Baroness Fiona Hodgson, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women, Peace and Security; Mediha Alhamad, human rights advocate and a survivor of the Yazidi genocide; Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda; Emily Kenney, Policy Specialist, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice at UN Women ; Amira Rajasingham, Research and Advocacy Officer at GCR2P; and Leila Ghahhary, Legal Representative at Yazda.
Further contributions at CSW70 included Dr Ochab's participation in a parallel session organised by the Right to Learn Afghanistan , which explored global efforts to recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, including developments at the International Criminal Court , the International Court of Justice , the UN and the People's Tribunal . Discussions focused on how international legal mechanisms, such as sanctions, could act as pathways to ensure that no regime can erase women and girls from public life with impunity.
In addition, the IBAHRI continues to invest in capacity-building initiatives. From 17-19 March, the IBAHRI and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (MLU) delivered specialised training in Kenya aimed at building the capacity of Kenyan lawyers to deal with the complexities and sensitivities of sexual and gender based-violence (SGBV) cases, with a particular focus on equipping lawyers with trauma-informed and child-sensitive approaches. The training, held under the umbrella of the Law Society of Kenya's Continuous Professional Development programme, forms part of broader efforts to enhance the effectiveness of Kenya's specialised SGBV courts. Eleonora Scala, an IBAHRI programme lawyer, led the training.
The IBAHRI has also engaged policymakers in the United Kingdom through a parliamentary session focused on pursuing justice through universal jurisdiction for the Yazidi genocide across multiple European jurisdictions including in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. The session was held on 25 March 2026 in conjunction with the Free Yezidi Foundation and the APPG on Women, Peace and Security.
In Türkiye, the IBAHRI is also working within the Independent Legal Mission on the Peace Process in Türkiye, focused on monitoring and analysing developments related to the Turkish-Kurdish peace process and aiming to contribute to a just and lasting peace grounded in the UN Declaration on the Right to Peace . The Mission's aim includes advocating for the full integration of gender perspectives in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) . This includes ensuring women's meaningful participation at all stages of the process and addressing their specific protection needs along with those of children.
Looking ahead, the IBAHRI will continue to drive thought leadership by providing training sessions on the documentation of conflict-related sexual violence in line with the international standards of the Murad Code and the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict .
