Regional Judicial Dialogue on Judging with a Gender Perspective

The judicial dialogue is a continuation of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality for Gender (UN Women), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Thai Office of Judiciary's efforts to strengthen a network of judges in ASEAN to promote and protect human rights. It aims to bring to the attention of participating judges key developments and tools useful to strengthen judicial decision-making that promotes and protect the right to gender equality and non-discrimination, as provided under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Two regional colloquiums were organized - in 2013 - "Gender Equality Jurisprudence and the Role of the Judiciary in Promoting Women's Access to Justice", and "Good Practices in Promoting Women's Human Rights Compliant Justice Delivery" in 2014.

In 2014, members of the judiciary from all across Southeast Asia were also given the opportunity to contribute to the development of two regional legal researches: (1) a CEDAW casebook that incorporates final decisions from the region where courts have applied or referred to the CEDAW and its principles; and (2) a booklet on gender stereotypes and other indirect forms of discrimination against women in court decisions in Southeast Asia.

Building upon these discussions from previous years and to strengthen effects of judges from all over Southeast Asia to end all forms of discrimination against women, this dialogue will focus on judicial decision-making with a gender perspective. Through collaboration between the International Commission of Jurisits (ICJ), the Supreme Court of Indonesia and UN Women - approximately 40 judges from different court levels and representatives from judicial training institutions will dialogue on judging with a gender perspective in response to the obligation under the CEDAW to promote and respect the right to equality and non-discrimination. The dialogue will take advantage and draw expertise from the experience of senior members of the judiciary in Southeast Asia and lawyers.

Dialogue Objectives

• To strengthen participants' awareness and understanding of the obligation of judges under the CEDAW to promote and respect the right to equality and non-discrimination;
• To contribute to the participants' knowledge on how to give effect to their countries' international commitments to end violence against women;
• To strengthen participants' ability to make decision based on the rights to equality and freedom from discrimination;
• To familiarize participants with tools available that would guide them on judging with a gender perspective and how to intepret and apply the CEDAW;
• To provide an opportunity for the participants to discuss and formulate strategies and initiatives for the development of domestic and regional legal toools for the promotion and protection of gender equality and non-discrimination.

Event Updates

Event Photo

50 judges from different court levels and representatives from judicial training institutions dialogue on judging with a gender perspective during 5-6 October 2015, Jakarta – Indonesia. Photo: UN Women Indonesia

Ms. Roberta Clarke, Regional Director of UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and Representative in Thailand gives a talk on what it means to have a gender perspective. Photo: UN Women Indonesia

Mr. Sam Zarifi, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) chairing session on ‘Initiatives of courts in Southeast Asia to promote and protect women’s human rights”. Photo: UN Women Indonesia

Session 1 of the Regional Judicial Dialogue on Judging with a Gender Perspective on what it means to have gender perspective and efforts of the Mexican Supreme Court to integrate gender perspective in judicial decisions. Photo Credit: UN Women Indonesia

For more photos, visit UN Women Asia-Pacific Flickr