Discrimination on the basis of gender can impact every part of a trial, from the actions being penalized, to the way women and girls are expected to behave in the courtroom to the opinions of judges and juries.
Systems that are supposed to protect women and girls too often perpetuate discrimination against them, with the authorities weaponizing unjust and outdated “morality laws” that criminalize conduct such as adultery, dancing or sex outside of marriage; anti-abortion laws that prevent women from accessing basic reproductive healthcare; and defamation and false reporting laws that penalize women for speaking out about rape and sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, those who advocate for women’s rights are often also targeted. TrialWatch systematically monitors these trials against women and girls and their advocates, using findings from the courtroom to secure their release from prison and change the archaic systems and laws that facilitate this discrimination. We intervened in cases from Cameroon to Kyrgyzstan to El Salvador to stop gender-based prosecutions in their tracks and ensure that women’s and girls’ rights are protected.
