Les attitudes discriminatoires, au sein de la justice pénale, peuvent saper les réformes du droit et donner des résultats iniques qui, au lieu d'améliorer les droits de la femmes les diminuent encore plus.
Deeply held attitudes that denigrate women, deny them equal rights, and betray them as property are built into many penal and family codes, criminal investigation procedures, rules of evidence, and customary legal systems. Discriminatory attitudes within the criminal justice system can undermine law reforms and lead to perverse outcomes where women's rights, rather than being enhanced, are further restricted.