mentors of the second cohort of the Mentoring Programme for Legal Professionals on Women’s Access to Justice took part in a study visit to Madrid, Spain. The mentors came from all six beneficiaries of the Horizontal Facility programme in the Western Balkans.

The study visit, hosted by the Ministry of Equality of Spain, gave a multi-sectoral insight into the Spanish approach to combating violence against women and ensuring gender equality within the judicial chain. Participants learned about judicial training, the role of the observatory on domestic and gender-based violence, the state-levelsystem to track gender-based violence cases, as well as the role of the police and the specialised judges on gender-based violence.

The meetings provided an opportunity for practical exchange between the participants and the Spanish hosts, sharing on how to better strengthen the capacities of legal professionals to address barriers faced by women and girls in accessing justice. Particular focus was given to those experiencing violence and those from disadvantaged communities.

The study visit was organised in the framework of the joint EU and Council of Europe “Horizontal  Facility III” programme  and its regional action “Women’s access to justice in the Western Balkans”, which is assisting beneficiaries in the Western Balkans in the process of strengthening access to justice for women, in line with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention.