Commonwealth Parliaments Unite to Celebrate International Women’s Day 2026
International Women's Day 2026 around the Commonwealth
Read more below about some of the highlights and recent activities linked to International Women’s Day 2026 in Parliaments and Legislatures around the Commonwealth, including:
- A message from the CWP Chair Hon. Catherine Fife
- New CPA podcast on women in political leadership
- Jersey establishes a Women’s Parliamentary Caucus
- Cayman Islands launch their local Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Chapter
- IWD events in Isle of Man, Guyana, Uganda, Cyprus, Zambia, Pakistan, India
- CPA attends 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York
- Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa launches Women Empowerment Policy (2026–2030).
- Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians focus on mental health challenges faced by women in public life at 12th CWP British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Conference in Northern Ireland
- New Zealand Parliament hosts leadership event for the CWP New Zealand Group
- Northern Ireland’s Women’s Caucus meets with women Parliamentarians from across the UK and Ireland
Jersey
On 5 March 2026, the newly established Women’s Parliamentary Caucus of the Jersey States Assembly held its inaugural event to mark International Women’s Day.
The Caucus has been set up following recommendations made by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, resulting from a gender sensitive Parliament self-assessment in 2024. The Caucus will serve as a platform to support, empower and advocate for the interests and advancement of women Parliamentarians and provide a supportive space to share challenges faced by women in politics.
Current and past women States Members were be joined at the event in the Jersey Assembly Chamber by women who are considering standing for election and other invited guests.
Deputy Lucy Stephenson, interim Chair of the Jersey Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, said
"Four years ago, a record number of women were elected to the States Assembly, and the establishment of a women’s caucus is a celebration of that milestone but also recognition that often women in politics can face added challenges. By providing a supportive forum and mechanism for women to get together to share those experiences with each other and work together to address the challenges it is hoped those women who are elected in June and in future will face fewer barriers to being effective Parliamentarians.
While much of the work of the caucus will happen behind the scenes, among women States Members, this inaugural event felt like the perfect link with International Women’s Day and opportunity to celebrate the power that can exist when women work together to support one another and to make change happen. To have two fantastic campaigners like Joyce and Anna join us to discuss this subject and share their insights and experiences is a real privilege."
- You can also read about the Jersey States Assembly undertaking a gender-sensitive Parliament self-assessment with the CPA in this article from The Parliamentarian – click here.
- The event is being funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Gender Strengthening Fund. Find out more about the fund by clicking here.
Cayman Islands
Above: The Cayman Islands Parliament lit up in purple to mark international Women's Day 2026.
On Friday 6 March 2026, legislators at the Parliament of the Cayman Islands gathered to launch the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Cayman Islands group, a critical step in strengthening women’s leadership and gender-sensitive governance across the Commonwealth.
The launch event brought together Parliamentarians, government officials, community leaders and advocates to celebrate achievements, share insights and chart future priorities for women’s political engagement in the Cayman Islands. Senator Hon. Alincia Williams-Grant, President of the Senate of Antigua and Barbuda was the guest of honour at the launch event. The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. D. Ezzard Miller, MP welcomed the launch and emphasised its broader significance:
“We celebrate not only the formal establishment of the CWP Cayman Islands group, but also our shared commitment to elevating women’s leadership in public life and decision-making. This initiative represents both progress and promise - a powerful step toward ensuring that women’s perspectives are central to shaping our laws, policies and communities.”
Cayman Islands Member, Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, also a Member of the CPA Caribbean, Americas and the Atlantic (CAA) Regional CWP Steering Committee, said:
“The launch of the CWP Cayman Islands group marks a milestone in empowering women leaders and strengthening representative democracy in our jurisdiction. By establishing this CWP group, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an inclusive parliamentary culture that supports women’s voices, advances gender-responsive policy and inspires future generations. In the spirit of this year’s IWD theme of ‘Give to Gain’, we recognise that inclusive leadership benefits not only women, but our democracy as a whole.”
The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) International, Hon. Catherine Fife, MPP, provided a video message congratulating the Branch on the launch of their CWP.
Find more photos from the launch event here.
Above: Attendees at the Cayman Islands CWP Group launch
Commission on the Status of Women 70
Above: The 63rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
The seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 19 March 2026. The theme of the session is ‘Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls’.
Representatives of UN Member States, other UN institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations will be in attendance, including a CPA delegation led by CPA Gender Lead, Bénite Dibateza.
As part of the programme, the CPA, Women Political Leaders (WPL), and the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) are planning a side event on the topic of ‘Breaking Political Barriers: Reforming laws and systems to ensure women’s full and equal political participation’.
The event will explore how discriminatory political and legal frameworks intersect with structural barriers and violence to restrict women’s full and equal political participation. It will display good practices from the Commonwealth and beyond, highlighting where reform of laws, systems and institutional culture have enabled women to participate safely in politics.
Cyprus
The Cyprus House of Representatives organised a breakfast with women heads of diplomatic missions and female Members of Parliament on International Women's Day.
They discussed the challenges women still face today, from war and global uncertainty to hateful rhetoric on social media.
Above: Hon. Annita Demetriou, President of the Cypriot House of Representatives, at the IWD breakfast in Cyprus
Uganda
Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda Hon. Anita Among hosted a breakfast in Parliament to mark International Women’s Day. She urged the Ministry of Finance to consider tax incentives for sanitary pads in the Tax Bills for the coming financial year.
Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the day's keynote speaker, urged all stakeholders to champion a shift towards genuine equity, noting that every Ugandan woman deserves to be in an environment that empowers her. She also reiterated the need to invest in access to justice, and called for expediting of the Legal Aid Act.
The Clerk to Parliament, Hon. Adolf Mwesige said the Women's Day breakfast meeting provides an opportunity for women to take stock of the achievements and challenges that lie ahead of them.
Above: Attendees at the Uganda IWD breakfast, including Hon. Anita Among
Zambia
Above: Women from across Zambia, including Hon. Nelly Mutti (centre)
Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting
Foreign Ministers from across the Commonwealth gathered at Lancaster House in London on 8 March 2026 for the 26th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting chaired by Samoa’s Finance Minister, Hon Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molio’o.
They highlighted women's leadership through the photo below, which features the Commonwealth's women Foreign Ministers and Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey.
Find out more about Commonwealth Day celebrations here.
CWP Africa
CWP Africa Region Chairperson Hon. Madina Ndangiza, MP (Rwanda) released a statement marking International Women's Day. In it, she reiterated CWP Africa's to advancing the rights of women and girls through inclusive leadership:
For their part, women Parliamentarians continue to champion gender-responsive legislation and advocate for inclusive policies that uplift women and girls. The support of our male counterparts remains vital as illustrated in initiatives such as HeForShe.
Read her full statement here.
Pakistan
On 6 March 2026, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly of Pakistan, under the convenorship of its Secretary, Hon. Dr Shahida Rehmani, MNA, hosted the launch of the Women Parliamentary Leaders’ Portal and a Dialogue on Women’s Political Participation at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services, Islamabad, in collaboration with UN Women and the European Union.
In her opening remarks, Hon. Dr Shahida Rehmani noted that while Pakistan has made significant progress in women’s parliamentary representation through the constitutional quota system, the focus must now shift to ensuring meaningful and effective participation. She emphasized that WPC is actively engaging Parliamentarians, experts and civil society to strengthen the quota framework and promote reforms that enable women to contribute fully to Pakistan’s democratic governance. Dr. Rehmani also announced the Pakistan Women Parliamentary Leaders’ Portal, a digital platform designed to strengthen coordination among national and provincial Women’s Parliamentary Caucuses, showcase women parliamentarians’ legislative contributions, and create spaces for knowledge sharing, policy dialogue and citizen engagement.
Above: Attendees at the launch of the Women Parliamentary Leaders’ Portal and a Dialogue on Women’s Political Participation in Pakistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formally launched the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Empowerment Policy (2026–2030). The policy was unveiled during a ceremony held in Peshawar in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women and UN Women. This policy marks a significant milestone toward strengthening institutional mechanisms for promoting gender equality and empowering women across the province.
The chief guest at the ceremony was Provincial Minister for Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister Aftab Alam stated that the Women Empowerment Policy (2026–2030) is not merely a document but a practical commitment of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to safeguard women’s rights, dignity, and equal opportunities. He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to ensure effective implementation of the policy through legislation, institutional coordination, and timely provision of resources.
Read more by clicking here.
CWP British Islands Mediterranean Regional Conference 2026 in Northern Ireland
Above: Delegates at the CWP BIM Regional Conference in Belfast in February 2026.
Women Parliamentarians from across the CWP British Islands and Mediterranean Region met at the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast for the 12th CWP BIM Regional Conference from 8 to 10 February 2026.
The event was held under the theme of ‘Power and Peace: Protecting Our Mental Health in Public Life’ providing women Parliamentarians with a forum to discuss an issue that is prevalent throughout the Legislatures in the British Isles and Mediterranean Region and across the Commonwealth.
Across two and a half days, delegates reflected on the unique mental health challenges faced by women in politics and the event featured sessions on a wide range of issues affecting women across the CPA’s membership, including online abuse, emotional labour and the pressures of constant public scrutiny – with delegates having the opportunity to collectively design practical, lasting solutions.
The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) International, Hon. Catherine Fife, MPP (Ontario) attended the CWP Regional Conference in Northern Ireland and updated Members on the activities of the CWP network and addressing the mental wellbeing of MPs. This was the first CWP Regional event that the CWP Chairperson had attended since her recent election in Barbados.
Read more about this event by clicking here.
Isle of Man
At the Tynwald buildings in the Isle of Man, an event was held on 6 March to mark International Women’s Day 2026 with Hon. Ann Corlett, MHK, a member of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) British Islands and Mediterranean Regional Steering Committee, and women Members of the Isle of Man Legislature speaking about their experiences as Parliamentarians. The Isle of Man currently has 10 elected Members of the House of Keys (42%) out of a total of 24 Members. The Legislative Council has 5 women Members (45%) out of a total of 11 Members.
The event was also part of a day of celebrations marking Commonwealth Day on 9 March 2026. CPA Secretary-General Stephen Twigg visited the Isle of Man to participate.
- Read more about how Parliaments and Parliamentarians across the world celebrated Commonwealth Day 2026 here.
Tynwald also welcomed students from across the Isle of Man to take part in their own debate on the issues they face as young women. They put forward Motions on issues such as gender differences in healthcare and legal protections for victims of violence.
Above: Participants of the Isle of Man IWD debate.
New Zealand
Above: CPA Vice-Chairperson, Hon. Carmel Sepuloni at the New Zealand CWP Outreach event.
The New Zealand Parliament hosted a leadership event for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) New Zealand Group in February 2026 that brought together aspiring women leaders from Parliament, local government and community organisations to connect, exchange ideas and share their experiences.
The CWP ‘Taking the Lead’ event also brought together women Parliamentarians from the wider CPA Pacific Region including the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Fiji, Hon. Lenora Qereqeretabua, MP and Hon. Tina Browne, MP from the Cook Islands.
Read more about the event here.
- This event was part-funded by a grant from the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Gender Strengthening Fund. Find out more about the fund here.
Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Assembly held an event titled ‘Supporting Women in Public Life’ as the theme of their 2026 Women’s Caucus event at the Parliament Buildings in Belfast on 5 February 2026. Women Parliamentarians from The Northern Ireland Assembly, The Scottish Parliament, The Welsh Senedd and the Houses of the Oireachtas in Ireland, along with key stakeholders, came together to discuss issues around electoral representation, championing women’s leadership and enabling women to thrive in politics and public life.
The session was opened by the Minister representing the Northern Ireland First Minister, Hon. Aisling Reilly, MLA and the Minister representing the Deputy First Minister, Hon. Joanne Bunting, MLA.
India
Speaker of the Lok Sabha of India, Hon. Om Birla, opened the All-Women Bike Rally in New Delhi on 8 March to mark International Women’s Day. The Speaker extended warm wishes to all citizens, and noted the crucial role of women in nation-building.
He stated that from the independence movement to modern democracy, women have provided strong leadership.
Malaysia
The Cabinet of Malaysia expressed its appreciation for the role, sacrifices and strength of women in shaping the nation’s future.
The tribute was issued in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri announced that the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration will be held on March 10 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre.
CWP Chair's first IWD message
Across the Commonwealth, Parliaments and Parliamentarians have organised events and activities for International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March 2026. This year’s UN theme is ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls’.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) works to achieve gender equality in Parliaments across the Commonwealth through our Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) network, by highlighting the stories of women Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff through our journals, blogs and podcasts, and through funding opportunities that support Parliaments working for gender sensitivity.
The CWP International Chairperson, Hon. Catherine Fife, MPP (Ontario) said:
"At a time of political instability across the world, when autocratic governments are trying to erode women's hard earned rights, the CWP network is fighting to preserve them. That includes continuing our work to ensure that every woman is safe from gender violence, and striving for gender parity in our Parliaments."
Watch her full video message below or view on YouTube:
New CPA Podcast Episode
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, a new epiosde of the CPA’s Podcast ‘Parliamentary conversations in the Commonwealth’ was launched. We sat down with three women Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth from Australia, Canada and Belize:
- Senator Hon. Sue Lines, President of the Senate of Australia and CPA Treasurer
- Hon. Catherine Fife, Member of Legislative Assembly of Ontario and Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP)
- Hon. Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Belize and CPA Small Branches Chairperson.
Listen to the audio version of the podcast by clicking here, or watch the video version below:
-ENDS-
The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female elected representatives in 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The network campaigns for gender equality in all spheres. For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.
