about us
Our vision
A society in which all state institutions work effectively to eradicate male violence against women and girls.
Our mission
To hold the state to account and challenge discrimination in the justice system around male violence against women and girls.
Our values
We believe that:
- All women have an equal right to access justice and to be safe.
- Male violence is not inevitable: it can be eradicated.
- Women resist male violence but are blamed for it.
- All women and girls can be subject to male violence regardless of their socio-economic and cultural position.
- Male violence may take different forms in different contexts, so opportunities for resistance may differ.
Key principles underlying our approach
- Work with the client not for the client, by listening and responding to each woman's individual experience.
- Work collaboratively with frontline organisations and campaigns.
- A commitment to anti-oppression politics.
what we do:
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intervening in cases of legal significance and identifying systemic malpractice in respect of violence against women
seeking legal redress for women who have been harmed as a result of the unlawful acts and omissions of the state
defending and/or providing legal support to women who are criminalised by the state or victimised by men when responding to male violence
assisting women who have suffered injustice at the hands of the state through complaints procedures, inquests and public inquiries and by legally challenging those procedures when they are inadequate or otherwise unlawful
bringing judicial review challenges of policies and practices in relation to violence against women and girls
Please note: we do not provide legal advice to members of the public. We have a very small team and only take on a limited number of strategic cases, typically referred by frontline practitioners or legal professionals.
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We run a number of projects on specific issues which in turn, feed into our lititgation and policy advocacy work.
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providing training to equip frontline advocates to identify cases requiring legal advice and to support women in challenging criminal justice failures.
providing second-tier legal advice to frontline service providers support victim-survivors
providing frontline advocates with specialist resources to support them in their work advocating for victim-survivors.
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We provide comment to the media on casework and related issues and where possible, use our influence to improve media coverage of VAWG
why we exist
"Existing laws and protections are not being implemented effectively or consistently."
Women and girls continue to live with the fear and reality of male violence — a fear that restricts freedom, limits opportunity and undermines full participation in society. Those working on the frontline have long understood where systems are failing and what needs to change. For years, women's organisations, including our own, have put forward practical, evidence‑based solutions. Too often, these have been ignored. Where they have been heard, they have frequently been dismissed as too challenging, too complex or too costly to implement.
We recognise that violence against women and girls cannot be addressed by the criminal justice system alone. Ending it requires deep cultural change and a sustained challenge to misogyny and patriarchal norms. However, the criminal justice system plays a crucial role in protection, accountability and justice — and too often it falls short.
Centre for Women's Justice exists because, despite repeated legislative reform and policy commitments, existing laws and protections are not being implemented effectively or consistently. Police and other criminal justice agencies frequently fail to meet their legal duties and, at times, cause further harm — including by criminalising victims or discriminating against marginalised women. Our work responds directly to these failures by holding the state to account and pushing for systemic change.
Ten steps for change
We are often asked what needs to change for the criminal justice system to respond more effectively to violence against women and girls. Drawing on our casework, frontline experience and long‑standing engagement, we have set out ten steps for transforming that response.
