Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

226 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
example, divorce and child custody issues and access to shared
homes and marital property.
In order to avoid patchy provision, such specialist courts should
be centres of expertise that can be used as models for all
courts to improve their services. Women living in rural areas
should have access to courts as much as those living in cities
and the use of mobile courts or modern IT solutions should be
considered to ensure quality of access to justice for those in
even the most remote locations. 601
Women’s rights during court proceedings
Access to information
The UN General Assembly has called on States to ensure that
women subject to violence are guaranteed access to and
availability of “information on rights, remedies and victim
support services and on how to obtain them, in addition to
information about their role and opportunities for participating
in criminal proceedings”. 602
Article 56(1) of the Istanbul Convention makes this a legal duty
on States parties.
Free or low-cost legal aid and other support services
The CEDAW Committee has called on States to “remove
economic barriers to justice by providing legal aid and by
ensuring that fees for issuing and filing documents as well as
court costs are reduced for women with low income and waived
601
CEDAW General Recommendation No 33, above note 569,
paragraph 16(a): “Ensure the creation, maintenance and development
of courts, tribunals and additional entities, as needed, that guarantee
women’s right of access to justice without discrimination on the whole
territory of the State party, including in remote, rural and isolated
areas. The establishment of mobile courts, particularly for women
living in those areas, should be considered, as well as the creative
use of modern IT solutions when feasible.”
602
Updated Model Strategies and Practical Measures, above note 559,
paragraph 18(a).