Experts and gender equality advocates on Thursday called for greater empowerment and awareness among women to access the laws.“Women need greater support to access the laws. The already available institutions and laws need to be utilised. Empowerment is also to guide women to justice through the law,” said Advocate Madras High Court B.S. Ajeetha.She was speaking at the State-level consultation on Debriefing Beijing +30, jointly organised by Ekta Foundation, Justice Shivraj V. Patil Foundation, and Women’s Collective, in collaboration with the National Alliance of Women in Chennai.In a panel discussion on eliminating gender-based violence and strengthening access to justice, ActionAid Association associate director Esther said that in the current scenario, the space for civil society organisations has been shrinking.“A lot of laws have come into force. However, the implementation of these policies and laws has been difficult. There is also a need to promote decent work. The POSH Act needs to be monitored to see if the various Internal Complaints Committees have been set up,” she added.Centre for Child Rights and Development director Stegana Jency said that the investment in prevention of violence in the country was very weak.Narrating an incident where, during a sexuality education class, a boy scribbled over and tore a page on the female reproductive system, she said, “We need to work with children, especially boys, in helping them understand sexuality. Only then can we break the patriarchal knots in the system. The foundation of all this rests in working with children.” Published - September 26, 2025 01:11 am IST