At the U.N.’s Annual Meeting on Women, the World Should Focus on Justice for Girls

Policymakers from around the world are at the United Nations through March 19 for an annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. Given the global prevalence of violence against girls, struggling justice systems, and a harsh funding landscape, they should focus on ensuring that girls facing violence are able to access justice.

Violence against women and girls—including sexual and gender-based violence, online abuse, and other forms of violence—affects one in three women worldwide, with one in five experiencing abuse before the age of 18. For many, accessing justice remains deeply difficult.

These barriers include limited access to justice systems, inadequate training and resources for law enforcement and judicial personnel, policy rollbacks, and insufficient funding for prevention and response programs—factors that contribute to impunity and perpetuate the cycles of violence.

Justice systems with limited capacity to effectively investigate and prosecute online and offline violence against girls create the impression that impunity is the norm. Human Rights Watch’s research on sexual violence against children shows that very few cases go to trial and even fewer result in a conviction. 

In one case in Ecuador that Human Rights Watch documented, a judge questioned the “willingness” of a 15-year-old girl, who had been abused online and then raped by a relative, to engage in the relationship, according to the prosecutor involved.

Justice systems should be accessible to all girls, including girls with disabilities and those in institutional settings. Officials should provide safe and confidential reporting mechanisms, offer translation and interpretation, and ensure the presence of specialized and trained staff. They should utilize interview methods designed to minimize re-traumatization and limit the number of times a survivor has to testify. 

Ongoing training for justice personnel and adequate resources are essential to combat violence against girls. Human Rights Watch research has found that in many countries, police, prosecutors, and judges lack the training needed to handle cases involving children and survivors of sexual violence. Justice systems are also often under-resourced and understaffed, limiting their ability to respond effectively to the number of cases.

These problems can lead to stigmatizing survivors and dissuading them from continuing with their cases. Updated guidance, training, and resources are essential to investigate and prosecute emerging forms of violence in which digital technology amplifies harm.

Reparations should also include compensation, rehabilitation, services, and support to help prevent further abuse. Yet even the small number of survivors whose cases lead to a conviction may struggle—sometimes for years—to receive compensation after long and often highly re-traumatizing judicial processes.

For survivors whose abusive images have been circulated online, the swift removal of this content in a rights-respecting manner is a critical first step toward reducing further harm and securing redress. Businesses, including technology companies, should also take necessary steps to ensure their products or services do not undermine girls’ access to justice.

A 2023 study found that justice systems in low and lower-middle-income countries are often underfunded, undermining efforts to prosecute violence against women and girls. In some countries, governments have dissolved ministries responsible for women’s affairs, citing public spending cuts. This is happening as anti-women movements gain influence, with the current U.S. administration leading efforts at the United Nations and globally to push back against gender equality.

Already limited development assistance to prevent and respond to violence has been further reduced following major foreign aid cuts by the United States and other governments. A 2025 UN Women study surveying more than 400 organizations working to end violence against women and girls found that all reported being significantly or somewhat affected by funding cuts.

Ensuring that girls can access justice will be key to addressing the global scourge of violence. Governments meeting at the UN should pledge to strengthen justice systems for girls, reinforce prevention efforts against rollbacks, and commit the funds to deliver on these promises.