Justice cannot be optional: Why access to justice for women and girls is the foundation of equality

At the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), South Africa joined the global call to make access to justice a lived reality for all women and girls — not a distant promise captured in declarations.

Justice is not abstract. It is the difference between safety and fear; between economic inclusion and generational poverty; and between constitutional guarantees and the daily reality of discrimination. Around the world, women continue to face structural barriers in accessing justice systems that are often expensive, complex, slow and, at times, retraumatising. For poor and rural women, women with disabilities, migrant women and survivors of violence, these barriers are compounded.

South Africa speaks from lived experience.

Our constitutional democracy, grounded in the values of equality and human dignity, has made significant progress in reforming discriminatory laws. Yet we also confront harsh realities — high levels of gender-based violence and femicide, economic exclusion and unequal access to resources. Legal reform alone is insufficient without effective implementation and survivor-centred institutions.

At CSW70, we have called for three urgent global priorities.

First, inclusive and equitable legal systems.
Justice systems must be accessible, gender-responsive and people-centred. This means strengthening legal aid, expanding survivor-friendly courts, investing in forensic capacity, ensuring disability access and providing language services so that no woman is silenced by procedure.

Second, the elimination of discriminatory laws and practices.
Across many jurisdictions, outdated statutory and customary frameworks still undermine women’s rights — particularly in inheritance, land ownership, nationality and family law. Reform must be deliberate and monitored. Equality must be enforceable.

Third, dismantling structural barriers.
Justice cannot be separated from economic power. A woman without income, transport, digital access or childcare cannot easily pursue her rights. Gender-responsive budgeting, social protection and economic empowerment are not secondary interventions — they are justice interventions.

The global community adopted the sustainable development goals through the United Nations, recognising that goal 5 (gender equality) and goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) are inseparable. Without justice, equality is hollow. Without equality, justice is incomplete.

South Africa’s message at CSW70 is clear: access to justice is a prerequisite for sustainable development, peace and inclusive growth.

We call for stronger accountability mechanisms, measurable targets and investment in justice infrastructure. We call for partnerships between governments, civil society, the judiciary and the private sector. And we call for centering the voices of women themselves when designing solutions.

Justice must not depend on geography, income or social status. It must not depend on whether a woman lives in an urban centre or a rural village. It must not depend on whether she can afford legal representation. The test of our democracies is simple: when a woman’s rights are violated, can she obtain redress swiftly, safely and fairly? 

At CSW70, South Africa affirms that the answer must be yes — for every woman and every girl.

Cassius Selala is the director of communication at the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.