Women's Access to Justice
Despite many efforts, legal services have remained difficult to access in the particularly remote areas of Afghanistan. It is in these rural areas that a lack of legal knowledge and access to legal aid exacerbates the conditions where violence against women occurs.
On this page...
- Overview
- Legal Aid and Access to Justice Group
- Referral Centers
- Paralegal Training Programme
- Transitional Houses
Legal Aid room at the Parwan Women's
Development centre
Overview
The Women's Access to Justice unit promotes women's empowerment by ensuring that women have equal access to the law.This is done through advocacy on policy and legislative issues within the government. For example, UNIFEM Afghanistan is...
- helping NGO partners to provide legal counselling and aid in six provinces through Legal Aid Referral Centers [see below];
- taking the lead in the first national Paralegal Training programme [see below], and;
- helping to establish transitional houses in order to provide women with a place to go after completing prison sentences [see below].
UNIFEM also provides funding to the Afghan Women Judges Association (AWJA), which currently provides legal aid to women in Ghazni, Kapisa and Parwan provinces.
The absence of a strong independent bar and a state funded legal aid system acts as a significant impediment to safeguarding the rights of accused persons and to providing the necessary legal representation for vulnerable groups. Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms, especially in rural areas, remain dominant to the detriment of women and children in particular as a result of citizens not having access to, or confidence in, state justice institutions. Post-Bonn, the Government, supported by the international community, must intensify its efforts to establish a functional, affordable, accessible, equitable and sustainable justice system that provides safety, security and justice to the citizens of Afghanistan.
- United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),
Afghanistan Justice Sector review, August 2006
Legal Aid and Access to Justice Group
Through the ministerial Legal Aid and Access to Justice Group, UNIFEM makes recommendations to the government on where legal aid is lacking for women in Afghanistan in order to increase access to services.
Once determined, legal aid is provided through Legal Aid Referral Centers [see below] and through cooperation with NGO partners such as medica mondiale
and Da Qanoon Gushtonkey.
Referral Centers
Referral centers provide legal advise, paralegal services, and other support for women who seek legal action, such as divorce, an end to domestic violence or land rights security.
The centers also ensure than women are accompanied throughout the legal process of their case should it be referred to the local or national courts. more »
Paralegal Training Programme
UNIFEM has taken the lead in implementing Afghanistan's first national paralegal training programme.
The aim of this project is to provide legal aid where it is needed but unavailable. Legal aid will be provided by Afghans through the paralegal training course, which is monitored by selected NGOs in order to increase women's participation in, and access to, the justice system. more »
Transitional Houses
Following a request by MOWA, UNIFEM has developed the concept of transitional houses for women who have recently completed prison sentences and do not have a safe place to go. more »
Toolkit 4: Gender Budgeting in Afghanistan
Toolkit 3: Legislative Process
Toolkit 2: Women Parliamentarians Making a Difference in Politics 
Toolkit 1: International Instruments for the Protection of Women's Human Rights 
UNIFEM