CSW70 – Expert group meeting

UN Women convened a virtual expert group meeting (EGM) on 8–10 September 2025 in preparation for the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which focused on the priority theme, “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers”.

• EGM concept note
• Programme of work/EGM agenda
• Expert biographical sketches
• Expert papers
• UN observer papers

Expert papers

• Adila de las Mercedes, Estudio Legal de Derechos Humanos DEMOS, “International credibility standards: The impact of stereotypes and prejudices in cases of sexual violence against women”
• Aída Kemelmajer de Carlucci, Former Justice of Argentine Supreme Court for Mendoza, lawyer and author, “Specialized courts addressing violence against women in Argentina”
• Arrita Rezniqi, Free Legal Aid Center of the Kosovo Law Institute, “Legal Aid as a pathway to advancing women and girls’ access to justice in Kosovo”
• Bonita Meyersfeld, Wits Law School, “Diffusion of international legal frameworks on women’s rights to national laws and local initiatives”
• Caitlin Buchman, Women At The Table, “Gender bias in judicial algorithms: A global analysis of algorithmic discrimination, global campaign for equal nationality rights”
• Catherine Harrington, Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, “Gender Discriminatory Nationality Laws and the Principle of Gender-Equal Citizenship”
• Claudia Martin, Latin American Network for Gender-Based Strategic Litigation and Co-Director of the Academy of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, American University/Washington, “Strategic litigation and women’s and girls’ access to justice, particularly in the context of gender-based violence”
• Fareda Banda, SOAS/University of London, “Legal pluralism, access to justice and women’s rights”
• Florence Nannyanzai Butegwa, Independent Consultant and founding CEO of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), “Access to justice for women in Africa: Promising practices”
• Gabriela Kletzel, Heinrich Boll Stiftung, “Transformative reparations in practice: Leveraging international human rights mechanisms to advance justice for women and girls”
• Jane Townsley, Former President of the International Association of Women Police and Independent Consultant, and Gerry Campbell, Independent Advisor and Former Scotland Yard, “A gender responsive approach to policing and the wider justice system”
• Jody Heymann and Amy Raub, WORLD Policy Analysis Center, UCLA, “Realizing equal legal rights and access to justice for all”
• Hyshyama Hamin, Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law, “From discrimination to justice: Reforming family laws to achieve gender equality”
• Keren Dunaway, International Community of Women Living with HIV, “Pathways to justice and redress for women living with HIV through documentation of systemic abuse, coercion and discrimination”
• S. Laurel Weldon, Simon Fraser University, “Structural barriers and access to justice for women and girls”
• Lee Waldorf, Independent Consultant, “Women’s access to justice: An overview of key concerns”
• Nalini Singh, Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, “Women’s access to justice in Fiji: evidence and insights”
• Patsili Toledo Vásquez, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, “Femicide/feminicide and access to justice for women and girls”
• Rebecca Sandefur, Arizona State University, “Access to justice for women and girls and administrative practices”
• Salma Waheedi, Harvard Law School, “Justice for survivors of gender-based violence in the Arab region: Access to information and legal support networks”
• Samantha Marshall, Lawyer and Former Minister for Social Transformation, Human Resources, Youth and Gender Affairs for Antigua and Barbuda, “From law and policy reform to lived reality: transforming access to justice and support for women and girls in Antigua and Barbuda”
• Tania Sourdin, University of Newcastle, “Technology and innovation: Supporting women and justice”
• Tanvi Patel, HelpAge International, “Towards equitable justice: Overcoming structural barriers faced by older women in accessing inclusive legal systems”
• Thilaga Sulathireh, Justice for Sisters, “Access to justice for LGBTIQ+ people”
• UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls (UN WGDAWG), “Advancing comprehensive legal, policy, procedural, and institutional measures to tackle the persistent and structural discrimination faced by women and girls and ensure and strengthen their access to justice”

UN observer papers

• International Labour Organization, “Strengthening access to labour justice for women”
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Applying the human rights framework to address women’s access to justice”
• United Nations Development Programme, “The transformative power of women in the judiciary”
• United Nations Population Fund, “From data to justice: The central role of legal data in strengthening justice for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights”
• United Nations Children’s Fund, “The role of laws and justice systems in protecting girls from child marriage”
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “Access to justice for women and girls alleged or recognized as having infringed criminal law”
• United Nations Team of Experts on Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, “Recommendations for achieving access to justice for victims and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence globally”