Ministry of Equality to mark International Women’s Day 2026

The Ministry of Equality will mark International Women’s Day 2026 with a fireside discussion on access to justice for women and girls, featuring the Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament Karen Ramagge, and author Karen Bartlett.

The event will reflect this year’s United Nations theme, ‘Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls’, and will explore the role of legal systems and institutions in safeguarding equality, protection and accountability.

The discussion will draw on Ms Ramagge’s career in the judiciary and public service, as well as her experience in constitutional and human rights law.

Ms Bartlett is an award-winning journalist and author whose work focuses on women’s rights, conflict, survival and resilience, including women affected by war and displacement. Her book Escape from Kabul chronicles the experiences of women in the aftermath of Afghanistan’s political upheaval, highlighting the human rights challenges they face and the barriers to safety, protection and justice.

Through the fireside discussion, the speakers will examine the lived realities of women whose rights have been challenged or denied, the importance of robust legal frameworks and the stories of resilience and courage documented in Escape from Kabul.

International Women’s Day is presented as both a celebration of women’s achievements and a call to action on access to justice as a foundation for advancing equality and enabling women and girls to participate fully and safely in society.

The event is free of charge, but registration is required. Members of the public can register by calling 200 66819 or emailing equality.events@gibraltar.gov.gi.

The Minister for Equality, Christian Santos, said they were privileged to host Ms Ramagge and Ms Barlett in a conversation that will give voice to women facing extraordinary injustice.

“Bringing together lived experience and legal expertise reflects exactly what this year’s theme calls for, a meaningful commitment to ensuring that women and girls can access justice, be heard and have their rights upheld. Their dialogue will undoubtedly inspire reflection and reinforce our shared responsibility to strengthen justice systems for all,” he said.

According to the Ministry, Ms Bartlett’s wider work includes contributions to The Times, WIRED, Newsweek, TIME and the BBC, as well as five other non-fiction books: The Health of Nations, The Diary that Changed the World: The Remarkable Story of Otto Frank and the Diary of Anne Frank and After Auschwitz with Eva Schloss.