A PRACTITIONER’S GUIDE TO INCREASING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO ELECTORAL JUSTICE Training, Staffing, and Personnel A common theme throughout the collection of data for this guide, both for the desk review and fieldwork, was the need for stakeholders across the electoral justice process – political parties, law enforcement, EMBs, and election courts – to be more gender-balanced in their composition and better trained to meet the specific needs of women seeking to participate in the electoral process. Electoral institutions, including EMBs and EDR and ADR mechanisms, should strive for gender parity at all levels of staff and promote affirmative action measures (such as gender quotas) that result in more women serving in the justice sector and electoral institutions. While a higher proportion of women in judicial and electoral roles alone will not solve gender inequality in the justice sector, this step can increase the chances that women’s experiences and needs are taken into account when developing processes and procedures for adjudicating electoral complaints. And, because women may be more comfortable reporting incidents of violence or harassment to other women, EMBs should consider having women EMB staff members Promising Practice: The Case of Mexico and the Violet trained and designated as points of contact for Lens campaign regulation information and to field reports Over the last decade or so, as issues of unconscious bias and of women awareness of the need to apply a gender lens to enforcement candidates. As much as possible, those positions of the law have gained prominence, governments and should be established across the country and international organizations have taken steps to provide publicized so women voters and candidates know additional training and resources so judges and magistrates whom they can reach out to with questions or are better prepared to administer justice fairly. In Mexico, concerns. where election-related cases are adjudicated by a dedicated violations or harassment against court, the Federal Election Tribunal has led the way by Law enforcement may be the first point of contact producing a guidebook on judging with a gender perspective for women candidates and voters who face gender- in electoral matters. This resource “gathers accumulated based violence during the pre-election and election jurisdictional experience, case-law and doctrinal development periods. Women may be reluctant to report these in the field, with the final objective of accelerating the incidents because of the way they are treated by law modification of social and institutional practices that make enforcement and judicial personnel in their attempts to seek justice. Therefore, training for law enforcement and security personnel on how to support women victims of violence, conduct investigations into electoral crimes, and preserve the chain of evidence is essential. During the election period, local security personnel and EMB staff are effective judicial protection of women’s rights effective in all countries.” In providing judges a “violet lens” to apply in assessing the relevant electoral law and the facts of the particular case, the guide encourages judges to consider the relevant power dynamics in play, confirm the existence of stereotypes and inequalities, utilize inclusive language, and prevent revictimization of those who have experienced gender-based discrimination or violence. Such tools and often engaged to maintain order at polling stations. approaches are essential to help the justice system ensure EMBs, with the support of civil society, should that men, women, and people of all genders are able to rely provide training for Election Day staff to help ensure on the courts when seeking electoral justice. gender issues are integrated into their electoral operations. This should include, in the case of For more see the excellent: Guide to Judge with a Gender Perspective training for security forces, increasing awareness of in Electoral Matters gender issues related to security, information on the 27