Geneva, July 4, 2025UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that at the current rate of progress, it will take 286 years to eliminate discriminatory laws targeting women and girls around the world.Citing sobering data on gender inequality, Türk called the timeline “unacceptable” and urged world leaders to take urgent, collective action to close the gap in rights, representation, and pay.“Millennia of inequality won’t end by inertia. It won’t end by goodwill alone. It will only end through decisive, coordinated global action,” Türk said during a high-level panel on gender justice in Geneva.His comments come as the UN releases its latest review of legal frameworks worldwide, showing that in more than 150 countries, women still face barriers to owning property, inheriting wealth, accessing credit, or receiving equal pay. In dozens of nations, laws explicitly limit women’s ability to work, travel, or participate fully in civic life without male permission.“We cannot wait 286 years. We should not have to wait another day,” Türk said emphatically, drawing applause from diplomats and civil society leaders attending the event.The High Commissioner emphasized that equal representation in politics, leadership, and economic life must be a non-negotiable goal, and pointed to countries that have made recent gains through constitutional reforms, gender quotas, and labor policy changes.However, he warned that progress is uneven and, in some regions, even regressing due to rising authoritarianism and religious extremism.Global gender equality advocates echoed Türk’s urgency. “Every delay has a human cost. This isn’t theoretical—it means lost futures, silenced voices, and blocked opportunities for millions of girls and women,” said Dr. Laila Mansour, a UN Women advisor.The UN is now calling on all governments to adopt a fast-track legislative overhaul, eliminate legal loopholes that allow discrimination, and invest in systems that ensure equal pay and protections across sectors.“Equality is not a favor—it’s a right,” Türk concluded. “And the world must act like it.”
