This sub-project aimed to improve the quality of the traditional criminal justice system for it to become more focused on people’s needs. The Groupe Action Recherche Pour le Développement Local (GARDL) raised awareness on access to justice, the response to gender-based violence (GBV) and formal justice mechanisms by organizing sensitization campaigns for paralegals and the local community, and by developing and airing radio programmes on access to justice, GBV and women, children and detainees’ rights. In order to sensitize the local population and foster behavioural change, the implementing partner also organized open days to the prison for local leaders, women, local government and civil society organization (CSO) representatives, and held community forums with justice representatives on access to justice. Furthermore, GARDL delivered a series of training sessions on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, judicial procedures, women, children and detainees’ rights and GBV defence rights to traditional leaders and women leaders to increase their capacity to prevent and respond to GBV. Finally, GARDL established citizen’s groups to carry out advocacy activities to foster change in public policy and discriminatory practices within the community by engaging local justice actors and CSOs in awareness-raising campaigns.