Hague Talks: How to make justice a reality for women and girls?

Issues of significance in the lives of women and girls such as family disputes, access to land, and gender-based violence are often resolved by chiefs, elders, religious leaders or similar customary and informal actors because formal justice systems are not always accessible, affordable or familiar to communities. On top of that, state judicial systems can be seen as complicated, with slow, inflexible and often confrontational processes. However, these customary and informal systems often fail to uphold women’s human rights.

So how can we realize justice for women and girls who use these systems? And how can customary and informal justice contribute to women finding justice? What are the pros and cons of these systems? What are promising developments and opportunities in the near future?