Participants in a story-telling session organized by LWF and partners as part of the recent 16 Days of Activism campaign in Syria. Photo: Mobaderoon
LWF delegates showcase work supporting women’s access to fair, inclusive legal representation
(LWI) - Being able to access justice is both a fundamental human right and a moral imperative, yet too often vulnerable women are denied this basic right. That is why The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) will be present at the 70th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), taking place from 9 - 20 March in New York on the theme of ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls.
Throughout the two-week session, delegates from LWF member churches and country programs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas will be participating in events, both in person and online, to share stories and showcase the work they do in advocating for an end to gender discrimination and for full access to fair, inclusive legal representation for all citizens.
In a statement submitted ahead of the session, LWF calls for urgent action to eliminate barriers facing women and girls, pointing to persistent inequalities, including “poverty, illiteracy, restricted mobility, sexual and gender-based violence and social stigma” which continue to limit their ability to seek justice. Drawing on the grassroots experiences of local churches, the statement notes that in many contexts “legal systems reinforce patriarchal norms, while discriminatory laws and harmful traditional practices remain entrenched.”
We see how faith-based organizations and community-driven initiatives can find local solutions to challenge injustice, ensure access to legal systems and restore dignity.
Sikhonzile Ndlovu, LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Gender Justice
“Through our humanitarian and development work in different parts of the globe, we see how often justice systems fail women, including indigenous women, those living with disabilities, survivors of violence and girls subjected to early marriages,” said Sikhonzile Ndlovu, LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Gender Justice. Ndlovu is leading the LWF delegation, alongside Daniel Pieper, Program Director of the Lutheran Office for World Community in New York.
“At the same time, we see how faith-based organizations and community-driven initiatives can find local solutions to challenge injustice, ensure access to legal systems and restore dignity,” Ndlovu noted. The LWF is calling for “adequate, sustained financing,” she said, with investments in “gender-sensitive courts, legal aid, shelters, community paralegals and literacy initiatives that can empower women and girls to claim their rights.”
Providing local faith-based perspectives
LWF-hosted initiatives during the UN meeting will include a side event on securing justice for women and girls in war and conflict settings. Panelists from The Gambia, the Holy Land, Colombia, South Sudan and Poland will highlight how their churches, country programs and civil society partners in the region support women and advance their access to justice in both conflict zones and post-conflict contexts.
Another LWF event will explore the particular barriers facing refugees and other women and girls on the move, who are often hampered by restrictive migration or asylum policies, discriminatory laws and lack of legal documentation due to their forced displacement. Young Lutheran delegates will also be partnering with peers from the Anglican Communion to discuss ways of engaging young people in accessing legal assistance for women and girls.
Delegates in New York will have opportunities to meet with their government representatives at the session, seeking to raise awareness of LWF’s work and build partnerships on common concerns. An official LWF delegation has been attending the annual CSW sessions since the early 1990s to provide a vital faith-based perspective on many issues affecting women and girls at the grassroots in countries around the world.
