Gender inequality is an affront to human dignity, a challenge to the rule of law and an obstacle to development. Denying women of their rightful place in society – by depriving them of equal access to education, justice or livelihood – means robbing societies of the talent and potential of half of their members. In securing every social need from peace to food, the role of women has been shown to be paramount.
Although gender equality is increasingly a feature of national Constitutions, the law often continues to restrict women's rights and freedoms, dictates their submission to male relatives, or limits what they may own or inherit.
An important advancement in Afghanistan has been the development of a comprehensive electronic database to track cases of violence against women and girls across the country. Launched in 2016, it is now being used in 20 provinces.
As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief (summarised evaluation report): “Thematic Evaluation of the International Development Law Organization's (IDLO) Support to the Kenyan Constitution Implementation Process with a Focus on Devol
In the months following the launch of the Liberia National Police fund, an initiative for female police officers to undertake skills training, IDLO has been supporting professional development activities as part of the broader pursuit of access to justice in the country.
While women entrepreneurs in Jordan contribute greatly to the economic development of their countries, they face a range of legal, social and economic challenges as compared to men in setting up and running their businesses and resolving disputes. Lack of awareness among women entrepreneurs about their legal rights can prevent them from accessing legal avenues to help settle their claims, and lack of gender sensitivity among justice actors in the implementation of business and economic laws might lead to unintended biased decisions that adversely affect women-owned businesses.
As five African countries, including Kenya, gear up for elections later this year, IDLO’s Director-General, Irene Khan, visited Nairobi to support ongoing work in the country and met with officials to discuss electoral justice, good governance and gender equality.
“We are privileged to protect the rights of all women, but especially those who are the most vulnerable, who are poor, who have no voice, and who […] put their lives in our hands,” opened Judge Susana Medina de Rizzo of the Superior Court of Justice of Entre Rios, Argentina, and President of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ)
Teresa Mugadza, IDLO’s Country Director for Liberia. When I took up post in Monrovia last summer, what struck me most was that I found a committed and cooperative judiciary, but one handicapped by a lack of resources. Often, people erroneously think that Liberia has no legal framework, but that is not true.
HIGH-LEVEL EVENT: On the occasion of the visit to Kenya of its Director-General Irene Khan, IDLO is hosting a high-level panel discussion on “Assessing ongoing reforms for gender equality in Kenya within the context of constitutional transformation”.
Rape is the second most commonly reported serious crime in Liberia, yet many survivors fail to get justice.
In a country where in 2013, rape and domestic violence were reported as accounting for over 70 per cent of all serious reported crimes, IDLO has been providing crucial support in forensic training.
In Liberia, the WHO estimates that between 61 and 77% of women and girls were raped during the civil war, and gender-based violence continues to be prevalent.
