Questions of justice were central to the priority theme of the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which concludes today. But concern for the establishment of just societies stemmed as well from growing trends of marginalization and opposition faced by various populations—in particular women and girls. 

“Aspirations for justice and frustration about the manifold injustices faced by millions today are at the heart of so much of the unrest we see around the world,” said Bahá’í International Community (BIC) Representative Liliane Nkunzimana.

“Never has it been more clear that the pursuit of justice and commitment to its principles are critical to the stability, cohesion, and progress of society,” Nkunzimana continued. 

Central to the BIC’s contributions during discussions on justice was the notion that judicial reforms must be accompanied by the efforts of local communities and individuals working to foster just relationships in their immediate context. 

“Experience has shown that if people are not personally committed to the principles of justice and gender equality, then laws meant to uphold them are continually in danger of being subverted or ignored,” notes the BIC’s statement submitted to the Commission, titled Reconceptualizing Justice: Laying Foundations for a Gender-Equal World. (See translations in Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish).

“Change is needed at the level of individual hearts and minds, as well as within the collective culture of any given population,” the statement says. 

Many partners advancing justice 

The BIC’s delegation to CSW included 23 people from Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The delegates organized 12 events parallel to the Commission, and spoke at or moderated a variety of additional discussions.  

The BIC collaborated with a range of institutional and governmental entities in organizing events. Among these was the Permanent Mission of Zambia, which co-organized a hybrid dialogue with the BIC focusing on themes from its statement. 

“To bring different stakeholders together requires an approach that emphasizes a shared purpose, rather than organizational identity,” said Beatrice Chilomo, Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, who was a featured speaker at the event. 

Another BIC event featured the Minister of Women, Youth, Sport, and Social Affairs of Kiribati, Ruth Cross Kwansing. “Justice is not a static destination, but a path we must take together,” as women and men working in respectful and equal collaboration, she said.

“Justice cannot be a shared journey if half our people are treated as guests at the table rather than leaders of the voyage. This is why the framing of justice as a societal capacity is so vital,” Kwansing said. “It’s something cultivated in our people, in our relationships, and in our institutions, over time.” 

Other governmental entities that collaborated with BIC delegates in hosting events at CSW included the Australian Government’s Office for Women, the Canadian Department for Women and Gender Equality, the Office for Equality and Opportunity of the United Kingdom, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Other notable partners included UN Women, NGO CSW/NY’s Peace and Gender Equality Working Group, ACT Alliance, the TAP Network, and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

Justice and gender equality in national contexts

Prior to CSW, the BIC collaborated with several offices representing national Bahá’í communities, to explore themes from the BIC’s statement with government officials and civil society actors at that level. 

In Uganda a national roundtable dialogue was organized to explore how justice can be more deeply understood and meaningfully practiced in everyday life, including with regard to the persistent gap between formal legal frameworks and the lived realities of many citizens.

In a gathering convened in Türkiye, the role of families was highlighted by participants, and discussions focused on the significance of educating both children and their parents around principles of justice and equality.

And in Bolivia a variety of social actors were invited to a roundtable focused on connections between justice, equality, and the eradication of violence. “There is no peace without equality,” one participant said in the gathering. “There can be no peace if … we do not believe and practice that the other is equal to me.” 

Justice as a capacity to be cultivated across society

One theme reiterated across CSW discussions was the need for justice to be restorative and relational, in addition to punitive—to address the full range of relationships that play out across society and daily life. 

“Justice is often understood narrowly, as a remedy offered to those who have been wronged,” said Ms. Nkunzimana.

“But at a deeper level, the pursuit of justice is bound up with the pursuit of truth, including the truth about who we are as human beings,” she added. “When we recognize the inherent nobility and dignity of every person, we begin to see justice not only as something to be delivered, but as a capacity to be cultivated within individuals, communities, and the institutions that serve them.”

Director of the Civil Society Division of UN Women, Lopa Banerjee, echoed this in an event on how to reimagine access to justice saying, “Justice has to do with the kind of societies we are building, the kind of society we are seeking to uphold.” She further added, “Justice is not only a legal aspiration, but also a moral calling.”