Gender Equality
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.
High-Level Roundtable on Women and Legislative Reform: Case Studies from the Field
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.
Fighting the backlash against women
“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.
Working in Afghanistan: “I don’t have many female colleagues”
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.
International Women's Day 2017
Strengthening women's customary rights to land
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.
Using Rule of Law to Secure Food and Land Rights for Women
We live in a world of abundance, yet ensuring food security remains challenging. Women are responsible for more than half of global food production. Yet they account for 70 per cent of the world’s hungry and are disproportionately affected by malnutrition.
Celebrating the work of Dr. Alicia Beatriz Pucheta
To mark International Women’s Day, IDLO would like to celebrate the work of Dr. Alicia Beatriz Pucheta, President of the Supreme Court of Justice, President of the Criminal Chamber of Paraguay, and Minister in Charge of the Human Rights Directorate and of the Gender Secretary of the Supreme Court.
Protecting Women's Rights in Kenya
Kenya finds itself at an opportune moment to advance gender equality. The country’s new constitution, adopted in 2010, expanded the Bill of Rights including for the first time provisions on economic, social and cultural rights.
Pages
Key Initiatives
-
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the right to food for populations, and especially for marginalized groups. In many countries, COVID-19 is intertwining with pre-existing factors affecting food security and nutrition, by limiting the access to affordable and nutritious food, including lack of economic opportunities, extreme weather conditions, ongoing conflicts and more.
-
As part of IDLO’s continuous commitment to accountability and results-based management, IDLO is pleased to share this Evaluation Brief for the project, "Integrating Legal Empowerment and Social Accountability for Quality HIV Health Services for Adolescent Girls and Young Women". The evaluation has been conducted by independent evaluation experts, supervised by IDLO’s Evaluation Unit. This exercise utilized a theory-driven, mixed-method approach, in line with the IDLO Evaluation Guidelines and OECD DAC standards.
-
Since the revolution in 2011, Tunisia has experienced a period of significant political transition and change culminating in the adoption of a new constitution in 2014, which called for justice reform and protection of women’s rights. However, the practical application of the framework for legal assistance in Tunisia demonstrates the insufficiency of existing relevant mechanisms. Therefore, there is the strong need to empower women to access justice and claim their rights.
-
For over 15 years, IDLO has been assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan develop accessible, accountable, effective and efficient justice sector institutions. While significant progress has been made, many challenges remain, frequently perceived to be rooted in the ongoing conflict, the impact of insecurity and the public’s fear for their safety. There is a strong need to address the concerns and goals of the justice sector and find innovative solutions and methods to strengthen its resilience.
-
Lack of access to a fair and equitable justice system is one of the most pressing problems confronting modern Somalia on its path towards stability and reconstruction. Informal justice systems, offering alternative dispute resolution are often much better placed to respond to the immediate justice needs of many Somalis seeking justice, as they have more legitimacy and are more easily accessible. To enhance access to justice in Somalia, it is therefore essential to engage with the alternative dispute resolution systems.
Latest Activity
Policy Statements
|