Building upon ARDD’s continued work relating to women’s access to justice,this brief seeks to document the observations and points of analysis within the current Coronavirus crisis. In line with ARDD’s vision,we recognize that this must take into account six core principles,namely: justiciability,ccessibility,availability,good quality,meaningful remedies,and accountability of the justice system (UN Women,Council of Europe,215).
This analysis is conducted through ARDD’s framework of inquiry for women’s access to justice,2 and refers to a full range of socio-cultural,political,or economic conditions in a society that enable or hinder access to justice. Here,ARDD considers the way that the response to COVID-19 has impacted Women in particular,with reference to issues such as employment,social welfare,marriage,economic participation,health,education,citizenship,and others.
The services and outreach that are continuing to be provided by ARDD’s Legal Aid Department are the primary and direct source of information for this document. Through phone calls and other forms of remote service provision,ARDD staff’s interaction with beneficiaries has been collated and analysed.
In light of the challenges that women are facing as part of the COVID-19 crisis,this Paper suggests several recommendations that are rooted in context-based analysis and direct communication with persons of concern.