Abolish Discriminatory Laws, Structural Barriers, Speakers Urge at Round-Table Discussion on Strengthening Access to Justice for Women, Girls

Ministers gathering at the Commission on the Status of Women today urged States to remove discriminatory laws and structural barriers so women can denounce crimes without fear and receive protection, support and redress.

The Commission is meeting in New York through 19 March with feminists and civil society also in attendance. The annual forum kicked off its seventieth session on 9 March, adopting an outcome document with a contentious recorded vote.

Today's ministerial round table focused on the priority theme "Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers".

Speakers stressed that access to justice begins with laws and procedures that "believe survivors" and protect them from revictimization. Ministers highlighted consent-based standards for sexual violence, stronger victim and witness protections, and survivor-centred services.

Aurore Bergé, France's Minister Delegate for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination, attached to the Prime Minister, said access to justice is "not an abstract principle or a legal concept for specialists" but about "the lives of our women and children, their respect, their dignity".

"When justice cannot protect women, the whole of democracy is at threat," she said, arguing that violence against women and children is not an issue of private life or tradition, but "the expression of a domination". Citing Gisèle Pelicot's impact, she said that the silence of a victim is not consent. Further, "not saying no does not mean yes", she said, adding that "women's bodies must not be a battlefield" and that justice is not a privilege; it must be a right.

Ensuring Implementation of Key Legal Reforms, Not Just Words on Paper

Other countries highlighted national reforms, with Erkki Keldo, Minister for Economy and Industry of Estonia, saying that in 2025, his Government submitted to the Parliament a draft law establishing that sexual relations must be based on consent and anything else must be treated as rape. "Yes means yes", he said, highlighting the role of civil society advocacy in advancing this consent-based law. "We need to provide better role models for men and offer a positive vision that a life free from gender stereotypes is more liberating and inspiring for everyone," he said.

Cathy Nori, Minister for Women, Girls and Family Affairs of Solomon Islands, also drew attention to 14 legislative reforms her Government has launched. This includes increasing the legal age of marriage from 15 to 18 for girls. To "address our long historical issue of under-representation of women in politics", the Government has proposed a temporary special measures bill. "While we celebrate these key legal reforms, we acknowledge that laws and policies that remain distant and foreign for women are just words on paper," she explained.

Real Justice Means Women and Girls Can Denounce Crimes Without Fear, Get Immediate Protection and Support

Citlalli Hernández Mora, Secretary for Women of Mexico, highlighted that the country recently elected its first woman President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and said that her first initiative to Congress was a series of constitutional reforms to consolidate substantial equality between men and women. "Raising up sovereign equality means access to justice," she went on to say, stressing that it must ensure women can "denounce crimes without fear" and receive immediate protection. "Lasting justice requires a profound cultural transformation through education to dismantle stereotypes," she added.

Arsen Torosyan, Minister for Labour and Social Affairs of Armenia, said that the number of women in the justice and security sectors in his country has increased significantly. He highlighted the recent adoption of a five-year gender strategy, which defines key priorities aimed at ensuring women's equal participation and decision-making and "demonstrates the Government's strong political will to eliminate discriminatory laws and address structural barriers limiting women's and girls' access to justice".

Speakers continued to emphasize that rights on paper mean little if survivors cannot safely report or get support. Justice systems must be closer, faster, and survivor-responsive, with protection units, legal aid, and integrated services.

Economic Empowerment, Technological Tools to End Violence against Women

Naima Ben Yahia, Minister for Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family of Morocco, highlighted a law on violence against women built on prevention and protection for victims. She also pointed to court-based protection units such as new digital tools, including "e-platforms for the protection of women survivors of violence", alongside economic support. "Economic empowerment is of utmost importance to address violence against women," she stressed, adding that Morocco is also acting on norms and attitudes as well.

Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection of Ghana, pointed to persistent barriers such as "limited awareness of legal rights, financial constraints and sociocultural norms". She highlighted strengthened protections in her country through the Domestic Violence Act, Human Trafficking Act and Children's Act, backed by institutions including the police Domestic Violence and Victim Support Units. Partnerships with civil society in legal literacy programmes, paralegal services and survivor support have been critical, she said. Ghana is also exploring stronger digital case management to widen access to services.

Alicia Pomata Gunsett, Minister for Women of Paraguay, urged States to remove the barriers that prevent women from being heard and receiving adequate protection, such as geographic distance, lack of information, economic dependence, gender stereotypes and institutional fragmentation. Paraguay is "bringing justice closer to women" through coordinated, comprehensive services, she said, highlighting Women's Centres that combine prevention of violence, psychosocial support and economic empowerment in one place to reduce revictimization and make access to rights real. She stressed the need for institutions that can respond comprehensively and technological tools and innovative mechanisms that can democratize access to justice and strengthen protection. "When a woman has access to justice it is all of society that is strengthened," she concluded.

Pédrica Saint Jean, Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights of Haiti, said that her ministry is working to strengthen the capacity of actors within the judicial system to raise awareness in communities and promote a culture of zero-tolerance towards violence against women and girls. The Government has created a specialized judicial unit for dealing with gender-based violence and support victims in a confidential and respectful manner. "Ensuring access to justice doesn't just mean opening up the doors of the courts; it also means transforming social norms and removing the structural barriers that perpetuate inequality," she said.

Prioritizing Safety, Confidentiality, Reparations and Recovery

Shradha Shrestha, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens of Nepal, said her Government has expanded security allowances for single women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and marginalized communities. The Government has broadened legal aid services and institutionalized gender-responsive budgeting. It has established a survivor-support mechanism as well as victim and witness protection services. Integrated crisis response centres now operate across the country, providing coordinated medical, psychosocial and legal assistance to survivors of violence. Nepal remains committed to a survivor-centred justice system that prioritizes "safety, confidentiality, reparations and recovery", she said. From strengthening protection for women lawyers and human rights defenders to ensuring laws that "enable citizenship through the mother's name", Nepal has taken several steps to eliminate discrimination.

Further, ministers stressed that justice must both hold perpetrators accountable and restore trust - including by strengthening women's participation in justice systems and ensuring support for survivors.

Wafa Bani Mustafa, Minister for Social Development of Jordan, stressed: "Access to justice is no luxury, it is a fundamental right." The protection of women and girls against discrimination is enshrined in the Jordanian constitution. She highlighted an increase in the number of women magistrates and lawyers in Jordan, which is crucial to ensure fair trials for women. Her Government is also partnering with UN-Women to ensure protection of women in digital spaces, she said, drawing attention to a recent national law to reduce domestic violence.

"When a woman is deprived of justice… it is the very conscience of our entire humanity," said Micheline Ombae Kalama, Minister for Gender, Family, and Children of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Using reforms to turn "the pain of victims into political resolve", she said her Government has strengthened its legal framework and zero tolerance against sexual violence and gender-based violence, including by mobilizing civilian and military courts to prosecute perpetrators. "Justice is not just about punishment… it must also heal," she said, noting integrated service centres where survivors can receive medical or psychosocial care, legal support, and economic reinsertion programs to rebuild autonomy. Despite persistent insecurity challenges, she said her Government is focused on stronger international partnership, arguing that protecting women is not just defending rights, but "defending the very future of our societies".

Role of Multilateralism as Key Actor in Advancing Gender Advancing

"Democracy and multilateralism are under strain in our world," warned Michelle Muschett, Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), closing out the panel. "After listening to you, it's very clear that justice is a central part of the solution of the challenges we're facing today," she went on to say. Justice is about dignity. It is about safety and it is about trust. "It's about upholding rights and the rule of law," she said. UNDP will continue to advance sustainable human development and strengthen democratic governance. "Rest assured that you have in us an ally to work hand-in-hand," she said, noting the role multilateralism plays in advancing gender equality.