Tracking countries’ efforts to strengthen access to justice for cases of violence against women and girls

The 2026 priority theme of the Commission on the Status of Women focused on strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. Access to justice is essential not only for holding perpetrators accountable but also for ensuring that survivors can obtain protection, support, and remedies.

This research brief examines what Member States have reported doing to strengthen access to justice to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Drawing on UN Women's Global Database on Violence against Women and Girls, it provides a global snapshot of progress and remaining gaps across legislation, prevention, coordination, institutional strengthening, and survivor services. It highlights that two in three Member States report a broad range of measures, while one in three still report only partial or little action. The brief also points to persistent gaps in referral pathways, one-stop centres, legal aid, psychosocial support, and training for police and justice actors.

By combining global data with selected country examples, the brief helps show where progress is being made and where implementation still falls short. It underlines that adopting a measure is only a first step: justice depends on whether laws, services, and systems are accessible, survivor-centred, well-coordinated, and effectively resourced and implemented. In doing so, the brief helps frame access to justice as a practical and urgent priority in efforts to end violence against women and girls.

• Publication (PDF, 167 KB)

Tags

Related publications