Top Vatican diplomat tells UN justice for women, girls demands 'holistic' approach

(OSV News) -- The Vatican's top diplomat to the United Nations called for a "holistic approach" in securing access to justice for women and girls.

"Ensuring access to justice for women and girls requires more than just formal legal protections. It also involves addressing the root causes that put them at risk, prevent them from seeking justice and ultimately undermine their God-given human dignity," said Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the Holy See's permanent observer to the U.N.

The archbishop, recently named papal nuncio to the U.S., spoke March 17 during the U.N.'s 70th Commission on the Status of Women.

He cited "poverty and its consequences" as posing "significant barriers to accessing justice."

Impoverished women and girls "often lack the resources to secure legal representation," he said, noting that "many legal aid organizations are inadequately resourced and overwhelmed."

In rural areas, the lack of transport, reliable communication networks and "quality education," along with lack of fluency in a given nation's majority language, also hinder women and girls from knowing their rights, accessing legal resources and navigating legal systems.

Gender-based discrimination plays a role, said Archbishop Caccia, stressing that "equal access to justice also requires daughters to receive the same resources and opportunities as sons."

The archbishop quoted Pope Leo XIV's address for the Jubilee of Justice, in which the pope declared that justice "cannot be reduced to the mere application of the law or the work of judges, nor is it limited to its procedural aspects."

As part of a holistic approach to justice access, he said, "it is important to recognize and dismantle the barriers that women and girls face, such as violence and discrimination," while implementing "effective systems of accountability" and fostering "a culture of responsibility."

The family must be a "healthy and peaceful environment for all" as well, he added.

The archbishop warned that "failure to tackle these issues also puts women and girls at risk of revictimization and exploitation, including human trafficking."

He observed that "women and girls constitute a majority of trafficking victims."

He said women and girls are also exploited for "forced marriage, surrogacy and criminality," and urged enhanced efforts to "prevent, detect and prosecute" perpetrators.

Assuring the U.N. of support from the Holy See and "numerous Catholic institutions" in this holistic approach, Archbishop Caccia said, "Ensuring access to justice is vital for achieving a just society."