The MenEngage Global Youth Reference Group Calls for Transforming Justice Systems by Dismantling Patriarchal Norms at CSW70

Alex Nelson, Co-Chair of the MenEngage Global Youth Reference Group, delivered an oral statement on March 16 2026 at CSW70 where he highlighted how patriarchal systems hinder access to justice.

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The true barrier to justice for women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ persons is not only discriminatory laws, but the patriarchal systems embedded in our institutions and communities.

Worldwide, patriarchal masculinities function as informal judicial systems, weaponizing ​“family honor” and male dominance to silence survivors. 

By prioritizing control over accountability, these systems reinforce victim-blaming and economic dependency that block justice long before a survivor reaches a courtroom.  Patriarchy is not disappearing, but adapting. As the justice sector adopts AI and digital tools, we risk automating inequality. 

Algorithms trained on historically patriarchal data can perpetuate bias, potentially ignoring or deleting survivor evidence. We urge Member States to mandate transparent gender bias audits for all judicial technology, with independent oversight by feminist and youth-led organizations to ensure an unchangeable path to justice.

Access to justice goes beyond legal reform. It is about transforming patriarchal norms. Men in positions of power need to be open to being held accountable to gender transformative standards and deconstruct systems that protect perpetrators. 

Investing in and supporting youth-led, gender-transformative approaches to inspire a generation of leaders that surpass ​“sensitization” to systemic accountability is a non-negotiable. Young people are shifting narratives.

When a boy confronts the manosphere or when a young woman claims her right to inheritance, they enact informal justice and disrupt cyclical inequality. Creating a reality where justice is lived — not just legislated — is possible with youth involvement.

As young leaders from MenEngage Alliance, we remain unyielding in our commitment to gender justice. Justice is not achieved through legal reform alone. It’s a culture built by dismantling patriarchal systems that silence survivors. Let us make access to justice the norm, rather than the exception.

This statement was collectively written by the Youth Reference Group of MenEngage Alliance.