Gender equality, justice and good governance: IDLO talks in Canada
Gender equality, justice, good governance and the rule of law dominated discussions the Director-General of IDLO, Irene Khan, held with officials during a recent visit to Canada.

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.
Gender equality, justice, good governance and the rule of law dominated discussions the Director-General of IDLO, Irene Khan, held with officials during a recent visit to Canada.
Tunisia is regarded as a leader in the region, and even globally, on progressive gender legislation and initiatives, including on women’s participation in all aspects of public life. The 2014 Constitution upholds the principles of equality of rights and duties between men and women, and confirmed the obligation of the State to protect and strengthen women’s gains and their equal representation in senior positions and in elected bodies. However, operationalizing the constitutional mandate in the justice sector remains challenging.
STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION
Commission of the Status of Women, General Discussion (Item 3)
March 16, 2017
New York
Delivered by Judit Arenas, Director – External Relations & Deputy Permanent Observer to the United Nations, IDLO
Check against delivery
Chair,
STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LAW ORGANIZATION
34th Session of the Human Rights Council: Report of Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law
March 15, 2017
Geneva
Delivered by Hector Guerra, Office of the Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other International Organizations, IDLO
The last two decades following the Beijing Platform of Action have seen a proliferation of laws that address gender equality in intersecting areas of women’s political and economic participation, violence against women, equal pay for equal work, family relations, reproductive rights, land and property rights, and access to services.
“Men and boys have to be there with us,” advocated IDLO’s Director-General, Irene Khan, during an event looking at ‘Fighting the backlash against women’, organized by the Overseas Development Institute to mark International Women’s Day.
Mosooma* is 29 years old, and the only woman in a group of two dozen civil and commercial law instructors working for the Government and Bar Association in Afghanistan.
The rolling hills of Burundi, or collines, represent the heart of its rural society. Burundi has a growing population and one of the highest population densities in Africa, yet 90% of its nine million inhabitants live in rural areas and many rely on subsistence farming for food.