Safeguarding women's access to justice, applying a gender-sensitive approach ...

Safeguarding women's access to justice, applying a gender-sensitive approach to transitional justice mechanisms and including women in post-conf lict reparations programmes are paramount steps in the establishment of the rule of law, and thus paramount to peace and security. The campaign to improve women's access to justice must therefore include a scrutiny of the systemic barriers of gender inequality, including economic empowerment, women's citizenship rights, their legal capacity, property rights, as well as safe transportation and safe access to witnesses and victim protection programmes. In order to play a role, women must also have access to their basic rights in all phases of conflict. We therefore welcome the Secretary- General's call for expanded access to sexual and reproductive health services.