ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Engaging customary and informal justice systems and alternative dispute resolution
80% 93%
More than 80% of the Somali population access justice through traditional mechanisms.
93% of users said that justice had improved in their community since the opening of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers.
Often overlooked in international conversations about access to justice, it is estimated that 80 percent of disputes globally are resolved through customary and informal justice systems. Customary and informal justice systems play a key role in the delivery of justice, especially for vulnerable and marginalized populations, and can often respond faster to the immediate needs of justice seekers as they hold more legitimacy within communities and are more accessible and affordable to users.
Pieter Bouwer / Unsplash
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Customary and informal justice systems are uniquely placed to potentially play a pivotal role in justice for women given that many issues of significance to women – such as inheritance, family formation, divorce, property rights, control and governance over land and natural resources, and even violence against women and girls – are often resolved through informal mechanisms. However, despite their documented advantages, customary and informal justice systems can easily be skewed against women and girls, favoring male-dominated structures, patriarchal values and discriminatory and harmful outcomes. To better understand the relationship between women and customary and informal justice systems, IDLO continued its series, Navigating Complex Pathways to Justice in 2020 with the release of a new policy brief: Women and Customary and Informal Justice Systems. The brief brings together current research, expert perspectives and program experience that can be shared to pursue strategic engagement with customary
