“Justice systems are not immune to these pressures; In reality, they reflect them“, said.
The report titled Guarantee and strengthen access to justice for all women and girlsshows how laws are being reformed to restrict women’s freedoms, silence their voices and allow abuse without consequences.
It warns that the very systems meant to protect them are failing women and girls, leaving them exposed to abuse, injustice and impunity as the backlash against gender equality intensifies.
Barriers to change
The report found five key areas that impede equity in outcomes for women and girls, who face greater barriers to accessing justice than men in almost 70 percent of the countries surveyed.
Discriminatory legal frameworks, social norms, gaps between laws and their implementation, traditional justice systems independent of the state, and conflict environments serve to reinforce inequalities and prevent meaningful justice for women.
Together, these barriers mean that Women worldwide have 64 percent of the legal rights of men, while 54 percent of countries lack legal definitions of rape based on consent..
“Where power remains unequal, justice rarely operates neutrally. This is where the regression in gender equality becomes very visible,” said Hendriks.
Women’s rights are further threatened by increasing global conflicts. In 2024, 676 million women and girls were living within 50 kilometers of a deadly conflict (the highest number since the 1990s). As a result, an 87 percent increase in conflict-related sexual violence violations has been reported.
Reform: ‘By women for women’
“Too often impunity prevails,” said Ms. Hendriks. “When justice does not reach women and girls, the damage goes far beyond any story, beyond the life of a single woman. Communities lose faith, public trust is eroded and justice institutions lose legitimacy”.
No country in the world has achieved full legal equality between women and men, the UN gender equality agency said on Wednesday.
“Justice systems can evolve, they can transform,” Ms. Hendriks said, adding that since 1970, More than 600 million women have gained access to economic opportunities thanks to family law reform..
Among the eight recommendations that governments must implement by 2030, she said judicial reforms “must be shaped by women and for women” and emphasized the need for more resources and government spending to address these concerns.
“Nearly 90 percent of organizations working to end violence against women and girls report a reduction in essential services.Only 5 percent believe they can maintain the current situation they are in and maintain it for more than two years.”