ABSTRACT
The concept of law is an important one that serves as an effective tool to enable individuals to enforce their rights and for nation States to be held accountable for their actions/inactions. There has been much debate and critique about whether both human rights discourse and international human rights law, despite their shortcomings in relation to women’s lives, could be utilised to positively transform the agenda on ending violence against women. International law and human rights norms are the means by which nation states are held to account by other nation states and individuals for the harms they cause. Feminists generally agree that international law is needed as a weapon against systemic oppression. The predominant focus for the UN system, institutions and the use of monetary resources, has been on international peace and security between nation states, primarily dealing with situations of armed conflict and its aftermath, including managing humanitarian crises.
