This report documents the progress achieved to realize the aspirations of the Muscat Declaration and analyzes the remaining challenges that States face in their ongoing efforts to make gender justice a reality for all.

The report focuses on the laws and law enforcement practices that matter most for women and girls: protection from violence, rights within the family, property rights and rights at work. The report points to examples of good practice from across the region and encourages sharing of experiences and cross-fertilization of ideas, bringing a unique regional lens to the detailed examination of the specific legislative provisions included in the country summaries. In so doing, it highlights what is achievable by building on the strengths of existing legal frameworks.

The document also provides an overview of the social and economic contexts in which laws are made and access to justice is exercised. It also addresses the devastating impacts of conflict on the human rights of women and girls, and what can be done to prevent and mitigate those impacts.

Helpfully, in its concluding chapter, the report proposes recommendations which define concrete measures for States to consider in their planning for the coming decade, 2020-2030, with specific examples of legislative changes required to achieve gender justice and equality before the law.