Judiciary determined to overcome gender stereotypes

The two-day pilot training course was facilitated by international experts and judges and attended by 35 participants (21 women and 14 men), including representatives of the regional court of appeals, judges, and prosecutors from various provinces, as well as officials from the Royal Academy for Justice of Cambodia and the Ministry of Justice. The pilot training course aimed at explaining international human rights norms relating to gender stereotyping with a view to promoting the protection of human rights and access to justice for women and other individuals who are marginalised on the basis of sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.

In the opening session, the President of the Royal Academy for Justice of Cambodia, His Excellency Chhorn Proloeung, stated that "the training is focused on further strengthening the capacity of judges and prosecutors on international human rights norms and exchanging experiences with international, regional and national experts to identify and overcome gender stereotypes in the judiciary".

Highlighting the significance of jurisprudence in courts in Cambodia in compliance with international human rights law, Roueida El Hage, Country Representative of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Cambodia, underlined that "the pilot training course is yet another benchmark towards a comprehensive technical cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Academy". She expressed her aspiration that "the content of the course would be integrated in the curriculum of the Royal Academy for the sustainability of knowledge transfer".

According to international human rights standards, the judiciary is under an obligation to ensure that all legal procedures in cases involving allegations of gender-based violence (GBV) are impartial, fair, and unaffected by gender stereotypes or discriminatory interpretations of legal provisions. This obligation extends not only to judges but also to prosecutors, lawyers, law enforcement officials, and other relevant judicial actors.

Participants in the pilot training course expressed the need to disseminate the information to other duty bearers, including police, community leaders, court personnel, investigation staff members, among other actors, in order to improve their comprehension and management of access to justice for all, in particular GBV survivors.

The United Nations Human Rights Office in Cambodia is committed to supporting Cambodia in fulfilling its international human rights obligations and addressing gender-stereotyped judicial practices.