September 5, 2026 marked the first UN observance of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Women and Girls. The date will now appear on the United Nations calendar every year.
The observance is designed to focus attention on rights and leadership—not to reduce diverse Indigenous communities to a single story.
Why was the day created?
The UN General Assembly established the day through resolution A/RES/80/10, adopted on November 26, 2025. The resolution asks governments, UN bodies and other organizations to raise awareness of the rights and fundamental freedoms of Indigenous women and girls.
It also calls for support for their economic, social and cultural development, consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Why September 5?
Several countries already commemorated September 5 as a day honouring Indigenous women. The date recognizes women leaders who dedicated their lives to resistance and the struggle for Indigenous Peoples' rights, while emphasizing memory, justice, dignity and reparation.
What issues does the observance highlight?
Indigenous women and girls are knowledge holders, language keepers, caregivers, community leaders and defenders of lands and biodiversity. At the same time, the UN notes that overlapping discrimination can limit access to land, health care, education, justice and decision-making, while increasing exposure to poverty, trafficking and gender-based violence.
An international day does not create a new legal enforcement body or automatically change national law. Its value depends on what institutions do with the attention: collecting better data, protecting land and cultural rights, funding Indigenous-led programmes and including affected women in decisions.
The United Nations explains the new observance on its official International Day page, while resolution A/RES/80/10 records the decision. Read more World coverage and our guide to UN General Assembly resolutions.
