COVID-19 sparks urgency around justice for women, new report calls for action

The COVID-19 pandemic escalates threats to women’s access to justice, according to a new joint report, Justice for Women Amidst COVID-19, released by UN Women, IDLO, UNDP, UNODC, The World Bank and Pathfinders for Justice, and supported by The Elders.

Curtailed access to justice institutions, rising intimate partner violence, growing injustice for women workers – including those on the front lines of the crisis – and discriminatory laws are some of the major risks to women’s lives and livelihoods associated with COVID-19.

The report documents emerging challenges and pre-existing gender justice gaps that have been exacerbated by the pandemic – not least an alarming upsurge in domestic violence after lockdowns were announced. Estimates suggest that roughly 2.73 billion women around the world live in countries where stay-at-home orders are in place, which sharply heightens the risk of intimate partner violence.

“Formal and informal spaces which afforded women appropriate safeguards are quickly shrinking”, says Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. “Thankfully, both state and non-state actors have galvanized into action, as seen in the smart and accessible interventions emerging in several countries. Some women however remain unsafe and invisible due to the digital divide. Forging private and public sector partnerships during the pandemic can ensure that all women have access to mobile phones. Justice systems can no longer be static: we need to begin to explore more sustainable ways of justice delivery, such as for example, optimizing interim orders to prevent rights violations. Furthermore, innovative parliamentary business must be pursued to ensure that the estimated 2.5 million women and girls affected by discriminatory laws are fully protected.”

While the health sector is at the epicenter of the pandemic, the resilience of the justice sector and its ability to deliver justice for women has been brought into sharp focus as the reality of the global crisis sets in.

There is a serious concern that gains made on gender equality will be rolled back, including through delays in reversing discriminatory laws, the enactment of new laws and the implementation of existing legislation.

The crisis particularly affects vulnerable groups of women, including those who are forcibly displaced, deprived of liberty, or lack a legal identity, and the impact is compounded by the digital divide according to the report.

At a time when digital connectivity is more important than ever to access life-saving information and justice services, women are 20 percent less likely to own a smartphone and 20 percent less likely to access the internet from mobile phones than men, bringing into question the extent to which violations of women’s rights can be addressed during the pandemic.

The report cautions that if urgent action is not undertaken, the effects of COVID-19 are likely to derail the fragile progress made towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

As the international community races to respond to the risks of an economic slowdown in the wake of the pandemic, the report presents a global synthesis of the state of justice systems in connection with women’s justice needs and highlights innovative interventions underway in many parts of the world.

Calling for a fresh wave of momentum, Justice for Women Amidst COVID-19 urges justice leaders and all stakeholders to take action to increase justice for women and girls during the global health emergency.

Read the full report: Justice for Women Amidst COVID-19.

Original source: UN Women
Published on 21 May 2020