The seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), held in New York from 9 to 19 March, will focus on the theme “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including through inclusive legal systems, the elimination of discriminatory laws and practices, and the removal of structural barriers.” In this context, Lawyers for Lawyers has prepared a legal brief to contribute to the discussions and inform advocacy efforts.
Access to justice is a fundamental human right, and it cannot be realised where lawyers are unable to perform their professional duties freely, independently, and without fear of reprisals. Women lawyers play a critical role in advancing gender equality and driving gender-transformative legal work worldwide. Yet, their engagement in this work often comes at significant personal and professional cost, particularly when they represent survivors, apply intersectional or gender-sensitive approaches, or challenge discriminatory laws and practices.
CSW70 offers an important opportunity to address not only the barriers faced by women and girls in accessing justice, but also the gender-specific risks and structural obstacles encountered by women lawyers themselves. Ensuring their protection and support is essential: without women lawyers, access to justice for women and girls cannot be fully achieved.
The brief provides:
- A factual overview of the role of women lawyers and the challenges they face;
- Targeted recommendations for Member State delegations at CSW70;
- An annex with key UN instruments and references relevant to this work.
Read the brief and its Annex here.
