The Impact of Discrimination in Law and Legal Processes on Women and Girls – Some Case Examples
Submitted to the UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice,this paper presents recommendations on new legislation or improved implementation of existing legislation to remove barriers to justice. Using case studies drawn from 2 years of work with grassroots organizations,the submission illustrates the harm done where there is no a law in place to protect the rights of women and girls; where there are explicitly discriminatory laws in place; and where there is a good law but implementation is poor or inadequate. This paper gives examples of laws that add to gender inequality. It should also be noted that some countries,particularly those in political transition,even if they do not have discriminatory legislation at this moment,they might change important legislation such as their constitution to the detriment of women’s rights. Other barriers that women face in accessing justice will also be discussed. These examples are drawn from Equality Now’s work over the last 2 years.
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