GBV survivors in Africa shut out by costly and broken justice systems

Participants during a past protest against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Justice systems across Africa remain inaccessible, costly and unsafe for most survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), effectively denying women and girls legal redress despite decades of legal reforms and international commitments, civil society organisations have warned.

In a joint statement to CSW70, African civil society organisations said access to justice for women and girls remains largely theoretical, particularly in rural and marginalised communities where formal legal systems are distant or dysfunctional.