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CSW70 Pitch: No Justice Without Women Lawyers

Photo: Sophie de Graaf presents her pitch

During the NGO briefing for the 70th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), various experts presented their pitches with recommendations to the delegation. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW in Dutch) on January 28, 2026. All four pitches are available here (in Dutch or English) on this CSW blog page.

The third pitch was given by Sophie de Graaf on behalf of Lawyers for Lawyers. Lawyers for Lawyers is an independent, non-political and not-for-profit organisation established in 1986. In 2026, Lawyers for Lawyers will launch its Breaking Barriers: Women Lawyers Campaign. This initiative aims to contribute to a legal environment in which women lawyers can practice safely, advance professionally, and fully exercise their rights as lawyers.

No Justice Without Women Lawyers 

Access to justice for women and girls does not exist in a vacuum. It depends on the people who make justice systems work- first and foremost, lawyers. And justice for women and girls cannot be achieved unless lawyers are free, safe, and able to work independently. Across the world, women lawyers are on the frontlines of gender justice. They represent survivors of gender-based violence, challenge discrimination, defend sexual and reproductive rights, and push justice systems to respond to women’s realities. Yet, for doing this work, many women lawyers face intimidation, harassment, criminalization, and gender-based attacks. 

These risks do not exist on their own; they are intensified by the structural inequalities embedded within the legal profession. Women continue to encounter barriers to entering the profession, unequal treatment in courts and institutions, limited career progression, and discriminatory professional environments.  

If women lawyers are silenced, intimidated, or pushed out, women and girls lose trusted advocates, and justice systems fail. To build justice systems that truly work for women and girls, States must take concrete action to: 

  • Protect lawyers, judges, and prosecutors from reprisals, political interference, and gender-based violence; 
  • Guarantee women’s equal access, retention, and leadership across the legal profession; and 
  • Ensure mandatory, continuous, and gender-sensitive training for all justice actors on women’s human rights, gender equality, and international human rights law. 

These recommendations draw on the documented experiences of women lawyers and previously agreed United Nations language. 

Protecting women lawyers is not a side issue. It is a precondition for justice. If we want justice for women and girls, we must ensure that those who defend their rights can do so without fear. 

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