United Nations recently adopted a new global framework, called as Agreed Conclusions, to improve access to justice for women and girls worldwide. It was adopted by broad consensus on ongoing 70th session of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, United States.
It represent a critical global framework aimed at strengthening access to justice, eliminating discrimination, and addressing systemic barriers for all women and girls. It provide a roadmap to build more inclusive governance, support peace and social cohesion, and prevent future violations.
Key pillars of these Agreed Conclusions include:
- Strengthening Legal Frameworks: Governments have committed to repealing discriminatory laws, enacting legislation that guarantees equality, and ensuring justice systems are accessible, gender-responsive, and survivor-cantered.
- Digital Justice and AI Governance: A new focus on ensuring that technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are used to expand access to justice and do not perpetuate existing gender biases.
- Recognizing Alternative Justice Systems: Formal recognition of community justice workers and paralegals within national legal frameworks to improve access to justice, particularly for women in rural or marginalized communities.
- Combating Violence Against Women: Reinforcing national mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, with a focus on ending impunity.
- Economic Empowerment: Protecting women’s right to work, promoting gender-responsive economic policies, and bridging the resource gap to ensure financial independence.
- Inclusive Representation: Ensuring women’s full, equal, and effective participation in leadership and decision-making positions in both public and private sectors.