March 8 is International Women’s Day. Across the world, women and girls experience the consequences of failings in the rule of law disproportionately, in areas such as access to justice and many others. At the same time, women and girls represent a powerful force for change, and their experiences and perspectives are a critical piece of any viable solution.

The Rule of Law Collaborative (ROLC) is focused on the issue of access to justice, including both the need for women’s access to justice and the role that women can play as agents of change. In recent months, ROLC has continued to engage with the Task Force on Justice, an initiative of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, with a focus on strategies for implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16): “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” In November 2019, ROLC facilitated a meeting of representatives from g7+ countries in Dili, Timor-Leste, as a follow-up to its June 2019 Ministerial on “Access to Justice for All in Conflict-Affected Countries,” to discuss the particular challenges those countries face in the realm of access to justice, including the hurdles that women face. In February 2020, ROLC was featured at the annual Innovating Justice Forum, in The Hague, Netherlands, as a partner of the Task Force.

ROLC looks forward to continuing engagement on these and other issues in rule of law that affect women and girls worldwide.