International Women's Day 2020
STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION
By Jan Beagle, Director-General, IDLO
Today, around the world, we celebrate the achievements of women and girls and the commitments made for gender equality.
The year 2020 marks pivotal moments in the history of women’s rights. We commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 20th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security – ground-breaking milestones on women’s human rights.
However, despite significant progress, women and girls in every region of the world, still face discrimination, violence and injustice.
The Justice for Women Report unveils a persistent justice gap between women and men across various areas, including basic access to justice and remedies. More than a billion women do not have legal protection from intimate partner violence. Many women still do not have the same rights as men, whether on paper or in practice, to register a business, own and control land, confer nationality on their children or spouses, or participate in the political life of their community. Alarmingly, the justice gap is largest for women in poverty and facing other forms of disadvantage.
Inspired by the guiding principles of I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights, #EachforEqual, and in line with our Gender Strategy, it is our top priority to ensure that women and girls have clear pathways to justice and tools enabling them to realise their rights. We will strive to ensure that laws are gender-responsive and provide legal protection for women and girls, on paper and in practice, in all aspects of their lives. We will continue building capacities of institutions to provide fair justice outcomes for women and girls. We will work to amplify women voices and empower them to participate effectively in all aspects of governance and public life. From Afghanistan to Myanmar, Mongolia to Mexico, Honduras to Tunisia, Kenya to Liberia – just to name a few - we pledge to do our best to bring a just and equal world.
Only ten more years are left for us to achieve 2030 Agenda: let’s celebrate our gains on gender equality and reaffirm our commitment to closing the justice gap for women and girls around the world.
Happy International Women’s Day!
