New study on COVID-19 impact on women’s access to justice in Eastern Partnership

This report explores the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on women’s access to justice in Europe, with particular attention to the Eastern Partnership countries. 

The report concludes that during the pandemic, pre-existing gender inequalities were exacerbated by gender-blind judicial decision-making, that women’s participation in pandemic-management decision-making bodies was insufficient, and that there was a significant increase in domestic violence against women who spent time at home during lockdown.

This document has been produced as part of the project ‘Women’s Access to Justice: delivering on the Istanbul Convention and other European gender equality standards’, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II 2019–2022.