Furthermore, the lack of women in the justice system discourages the use of judicial services by women, while historically law enforcement authorities have tended to divert women from accessing justice. Fear and stigma of accessing the state justice system frequently creates barriers for w'omen to access justice. Some countries in the MENA region have taken positive steps tow'ards addressing this issue, yet more support for civil society organisations and clear steps for reducing barriers to access to justice need to be taken.