PRESS BRIEFING ON GENDER JUSTICE CONFERENCE

Press Briefing on Gender Justice Conference

There was a critical need to strengthen justice for women living in war-affected countries, Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), said at a press briefing this afternoon at United Nations Headquarters.

Heyzer, joined by Judge Navanethem Pillay of the International Criminal Court, met with correspondents to announce the opening on Wednesday of a three-day conference, “Gender Justice in Post-Conflict Situations:  Peace Needs Women and Women Need Justice”, to be held at the Millennium Hotel in New York City. 

The conference, organized by UNIFEM and the Stockholm-based International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), will bring together women in key legal and judicial positions and local actors working with gender justice issues in war-affected countries, including Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Liberia, Namibia, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Haiti, Burundi and Rwanda.

Ms. Heyzer said the conference aims to showcase efforts at the local level to strengthen gender justice and to foster international support for local strategies and practices that are emerging in war-affected communities.

“There is a justice deficit for women in countries that have been in conflict and are coming out of conflict”, said Ms. Heyzer.  “There are tremendous opportunities in these countries that are coming out of conflict to strengthen gender justice in the context of the rule of law.”

She stressed that this work must be done in consultation with local actors in order to ensure and maximize local participation.  “If we are to move forward we need to be aware of achievements that have been accomplished at the ground level”, she said.

Judge Pillay, co-chairperson of the conference, said gender justice would be a central issue in the future work of the International Criminal Court.  She said it was critical for courts to develop strategies for the protection of victims, particularly of women and children.  “We need an integrated approach to justice that will facilitate victim participation in the courtroom”,she said.

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