Session Time and Date  

11 November, 13:45-15:30

Conference Room 2

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Concept Summary  

Women’s access to justice has increasingly become a central issue in global discourse, including in Asia Pacific, where recent events have brought the issue into sharp relief. The region has witnessed a series of alarming incidents that have highlighted the systemic failures of justice systems for women and sexual and gender minorities. From high-profile legal battles to widespread social movements demanding accountability and reform, these incidents have galvanized both public and government attention. 

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Access to justice is fundamental to achieving gender equality. However, women continue to face unique challenges in engaging with justice systems, including social, procedural, and institutional barriers. These obstacles are particularly acute for women facing severe injustices, and those with multiple and intersecting identities. Data shows that women are more likely than men to experience discrimination, legal exclusion, and inadequate legal support, severely hindering their justice journeys. 

To address these challenges, we must advance a gender-responsive and people-centered approach to justice—one that complements existing systems while redefining justice through the lens of the people it serves. This includes making justice more accessible and reflective of women's lived experiences, and providing holistic and rights-respecting justice solutions. Approaches, such as, preventing injustices against women before they occur; decentralizing justice systems to make them accessible for women; innovating for justice in a way that recognizes the digital gender gap; and, strengthening cooperation between justice actors and women’s rights organizations. 

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A people-centered approach to justice aligns with the goals of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda, which ensures that women can meaningfully participate, lead, and benefit from justice processes. By linking justice with broader issues of peace and security, we not only address women's immediate legal needs but also support their long-term leadership and participation in public life. 

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This Plenary Session offers an opportunity for regional, and national voices to discuss how to operationalize gender-responsive and people-centered justice. By drawing on case studies, justice expertise, and the lived experiences of women navigating justice systems, we can collectively explore innovative approaches that enhance women’s access to justice and transform systems to meet the needs of current and future generations of women, in all their diversity. 

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In 2022, UN Women and UNDP launched the Gender Justice Platform to bring together diverse stakeholders with a commitment to supporting rule of law systems that work for women and girls.  

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Objectives 

• Understand women’s justice needs, how injustices can be prevented, and identify good practices to ensure that women in extreme conditions of injustice are not left behind.   

• Discuss how the justice journeys of women can be improved through solutions grounded in the principles of people-centered justice.  

• Strengthen collective efforts and partnership with women and women civil society towards co-creating justice systems that are responsive to the needs of women.  

 

Questions 

• How can we operationalize a gender-responsive, people-centered approach to justice that breaks down barriers and provides opportunities for women to access to justice? 

• What strategies can we implement to make justice systems more reflective of women’s lived experiences, and ensure the long-term empowerment of women? 

• How can linking women’s access to justice with rule of law, inclusive governance, and the WPS agenda enhance women's participation and foster peaceful and equitable societies? 

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Agenda

• Keynote address and welcome.  

• Panel discussion: Improving the justice journey of women through gender-responsive and people-centered justice.   

• Case study: Reaching women in cases of severe injustice.  

• Women transforming justice systems. 

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Format/Methodology 

The session will be a hybrid in-person/online session that includes the voices of women justice users, justice experts, women civil society, and law and policymakers. Additionally, it will feature a deep dive into a case study of how to reach women currently invisible to justice systems.​

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About the People-Centered Justice Conference  

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangkok Regional Hub, the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), the United Nations Environment Programme  (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and UN Women Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the World Justice Project, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), and the Court of Justice of Thailand, will host the conference “Achieving Just Societies: Inclusive Justice Pathways for People and Planet in Asia and the Pacific” This event is scheduled to take place in Bangkok from November 11-13, 2024. 
 
The conference will serve as a dynamic platform for stakeholders to exchange insights, address challenges, and explore innovative, data-driven, and evidence-based approaches to enhancing equal and inclusive access to justice for all through people-centered methods, including in crisis-affected settings. In line with a human rights-based approach and the 'leave no one behind' principles, the event aims to foster partnerships and promote robust access to justice frameworks that better prioritize human rights, as well as the justice needs and emerging priorities of individuals and communities across the Asia and Pacific region. 

 
Ultimately, the conference aspires to reinforce a collective regional commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring equal and inclusive access to justice, and protecting human rights, all of which are foundational to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in Agenda 2030.