20 Gender and Security Toolkit 2.9 Gender justice contributes to sustainable peace and development If the justice sector does not promote gender equality or integrate a gender perspective, the rule of law is undermined and this compromises peace, security and development. This has been recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provides structures and opportunities to advance and measure progress towards gender equality, as well as to hold states accountable in this regard.** Within the 2030 Agenda, SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 16 (accountable and inclusive institutions) are particularly relevant to advancing a gender-equitable and genderresponsive justice sector, and identify targets and indicators to measure progress. SDG 11 (inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable places to live) also relates to how integrating a gender perspective in the justice sector can promote development. For instance, a genderequitable and gender-responsive justice sector and legal framework can help ensure the following. Ê There are binding standards for adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, including transport systems, and that those who do not uphold these standards are held to account. Ê Women and girls – who are often the most vulnerable to inadequate housing and lack of services due to their socio-economically marginalized status – are equally protected by the law. Ê Public spaces are safe for everyone, including women, girls, boys, men and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions. Ê Efforts to improve disaster response and resilience attend to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of all.29 Promoting gender equality and integrating a gender perspective in the justice sector provides avenues for the protection of economic, property and other rights, and helps to alleviate violence and discrimination. Fundamentally, this contributes to more equitable sharing of resources and power, and to creating more equitable and peaceful societies.30 Endnotes 1. Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission (undated) “Witness to truth: Final report of the TRC”, www. sierraleonetrc.org/index.php/view-the-final-report (accessed 15 October 2019). 2. UN OSAGI (2002) “Gender mainstreaming: An overview”, New York: United Nations. 3. Adapted from UN Women (2019) “Gender equality glossary”, https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/mod/glossary/ view.php?id=36 (accessed 6 September 2019). 4. Definition adapted from UN Economic and Social Council (1997) “UN Economic and Social Council Resolution 1997/2: Agreed conclusions”, 18 July, 1997/2. 5. Definition adapted from UN OSAGI (2001) “Important concepts underlying gender mainstreaming”, New York: United Nations. 6. UN Women, note 3 above; OHCHR (2011) “Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity”, report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Doc. A/HRC/19/41, 17 November, para. 20. 7. World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and South African Medical Research Council (2013) “Global and regional estimates of violence against women: Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence”, Geneva: WHO. 8. National Crime Victim Law Institute (2017) “Implicit bias and crime victims: An overview”, Portland, OR: NCVLI; J. Kang, M. Bennett, D. Carbado, P. Casey, N. Dasgupta, D. Faigman, R. Godsil, A. Greenwald, J. Levinson and J. Mnookin (2012) “Implicit bias in the courtroom”, UCLA Law Review, 59, pp. 1124–1186. 9. See, for example, M. Halilovic and H. Huhtanen (2014) Gender and the Judiciary: The Implications of Gender within the Judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Geneva: DCAF. ^ The interconnections between gender equality and good security sector governance are the subject of Tool 1 on “Security Sector Governance, Security Sector Reform and Gender” and the Policy Brief on “A Security Sector Governance Approach to Women, Peace and Security” .** See the Policy Brief on “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Security Sector and Gender Equality” for further discussion.