UN report: Access to justice remains elusive for women

NEW DELHI: Quota for women in Parliament catalyses a nation’s efforts towards equality, especially in providing women access to justice. This, in turn, plays a pivotal role in improving their lives.
This was among the key conclusions of the “Progress of the World’s Women -- In Pursuit of Justice’’, a UN Women’s report released on Thursday. In a series of case studies and data culled from country reports and global studies, the report shows the status of women in terms of their political rights, economic opportunities, reproductive health and rights, and access to justice.Though 139 countries guarantee gender equality, discrimination is far and wide, even in rich nations, and women continue to experience discrimination in pay and a range of injustices.
The report highlights the cases of six nations, such as Spain, Rwanda and Nepal that have exceeded the 30 per cent mark to show how larger numbers of women legislators led to better implementation of existing laws and laws on healthcare, on tackling violence against women and equal land rights. In 2011, 28 countries have 30 per cent women’s representation in Parliament, with Rwanda leading at 51 per cent. Of these, 23 have used quotas, including Nepal. India has a little over 10 per cent women in Parliament, its highest record ever.
Rwanda has a sex ratio of 100, and it is bracketed with countries such as Denmark and Sweden for having laws for domestic violence, sexual harassment and marital rape. Nepal, with 33 per cent women legislators since 2007, is working to ensure that each law stands up to scrutiny in terms of equality -- from inheritance and citizenship to equal pay.
Significantly, countries in South Asia, which includes India, lose an estimated $89 billion annually due to limited participation of women in the workforce, says the report. Recent NSSO data suggests that women’s participation in India has declined sharply in recent years to about 25%. The bulk of work done by these working women is unpaid and invisible.
On protection on the domestic front, the report reveals that almost 40 per cent people in India believe it’s justifiable for a man to beat his wife. India is among 17 out of 41 countries where a quarter or more people think it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife.
Urging governments to recognize their responsibility for women’s security in the ‘private sphere' as well, the UN Women’s report, the first after its creation earlier this year, have long pointed out that present justice systems ‘don’t work for women’ at the workplace or at home.
“Women across the world aspire to justice where justice means freedom from violence, the freedom to exercise their choice in marriage and divorce. They expect governments to promote their economic, social and political rights,” said Lakshmi Puri, UN Women’s deputy executive director. Justice systems that work well are a basis for equality, she said.
India, which recently cut a sorry figure globally with its appalling sex ratio figures, can do with some ‘catalyst’ to improve its record on women’s welfare. “Justice remains elusive for women,” said Indira Jaising, additional solicitor general, during the report’s release, pointing out that having laws without their implementation greatly compromises the women’s cause, adding that poor implementation is fallout of the “lack of accountability of public servants.”
The report highlights innovative models of justice delivery that have worked to bring justice to women. The present ‘justice chain’ is a long-winded affair in most countries --- from filing a case to conviction --- and very few see their fight to the end. “The infrastructure of justice is failing women,” said Puri. “There’s lack of awareness of their rights, or they can’t afford it or they face barriers.”
One way to strengthen existing justice systems is to bring in more numbers of women into the police and the judiciary. South Africa instituted ‘one-stop shops’ for justice delivery. Located in public hospitals, they bring together healthcare for the victims along with police and legal help. Brazil’s all-women police brigades first instituted in 1985 have now expanded into 450 all-women police teams throughout the country, a model replicated across Latin America.