Gender justice is necessary to protect women’s physical integrity and rights and ensure that their voices are heard to challenge the social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence.

One in three women in Asia and the Pacific region report having suffered some form of physical and sexual violence during their lifetime. In some countries, the number is as high as 80%. Forms of violence range from intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, rape and physical and sexual assault, to its most extreme, femicide. On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), a high-level panel explored the importance of the rule of law and access to justice for women and girls; the role of legal and regulatory stakeholders in creating enabling environments for women’s equality and empowerment; and possible ways to scale up initiatives to build the capacity of legal and judicial systems to facilitate women’s access to justice.