The relevance of gender in the justice policy area should be considered in terms of the following points: access to justice is a human right and an integral aspect of the rule of law; crime is a gender-oriented phenomenon, but the justice system does not equally accommodate women’s and men’s needs; the due diligence principle holds states (and other actors in the police and justice system) responsible for taking measures to fight violence against women (VAW); acknowledging the gender dimension of crime is not only an issue of gender equality and human rights, but also an economic one; women’s representation in decision-making is a matter of justice (political rights).
