Terrorism and counter-terrorism measures impact women, men, girls, and boys differently. Women and girls often face compounded vulnerabilities and harms. This year¡¯s International Women¡¯s Day (#IWD2026), under the theme ¡°Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,¡± emphasizes the need to dismantle discriminatory laws, strengthen legal protections, and promote survivor-centered justice systems that address structural barriers to redress.

Consistent with this theme, UNOCT prioritizes the rights of women and girls in efforts to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism (CT/PCVE). In practice, this means advancing gender-responsive, victim-centred approaches that strengthen institutional legitimacy, and ensuring that counter-terrorism responses do not perpetuate harm. It also means recognizing women and girls not only as victims, but as rights-holders and agents of change whose dignity, agency, and safety must guide every aspect of our work.

Guided by the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly for its subsequent reviews, as well as the adopted by the Security Council, UNOCT is committed to advancing women¡¯s full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in CT/PCVE efforts ¨C including within institutions such as intelligence agencies and the justice sector.

Through its Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan, UNOCT ensures that gender-responsive, victim-centered, and human-rights-based approaches guide the Office¡¯s work. Across its programmes, UNOCT supports requesting Member States and other partners in integrating these approaches within their CT/PCVE efforts.