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Global competition funds 15 startup initiatives tackling corruption, crime, discrimination, and more

Healthcare may not be thought of as a rule of law issue, but when the right to free healthcare is violated by corruption, counterfeit medicines, or discrimination, innocent people suffer. A seed grant from the World Justice Challenge in 2013 allowed the Cameroon Healthcare Access Program to tackle corruption in the healthcare system, where patients do not receive the free medicines they need and are asked to pay bribes for free services.

Since we released the WJP Rule of Law Index 2014 two weeks ago, on March 5th, our findings have been featured in over 20 languages—in more than 200 media outlets—worldwide. Following are a few notable mentions, but you can always check our media page for the most up-to-date information on where WJP is contributing to the rule of law conversation around the globe.  

Each year, thousands of children living on the streets of Bogotá, Colombia, are arrested and end up in juvenile detention centers. In 2013, with a seed grant from the World Justice Project, the Dutch-based Young in Prison partnered with Colombian-based Familia Araya to help incarcerated youth change their relationship with the rule of law.

In honor of International Women's Month, we are highlighting three programs incubated by the WJP that address the rights of women and girls. With seed grants and support from the WJP, these programs are helping to break down barriers that women and girls face in accessing justice.

"I am deeply convinced that the Rule of Law Index is among the most important tools for assisting the post-communist countries in Eastern Europe in the process of reforming our societies during the transition period." -- The Honorable Petar Stoyanov   The WJP Rule of Law Index relies on over 100,000 household and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced in everyday life around the world. In advance of the launch of the WJP Rule of Law Index 2014, we asked leading global voices to share their thoughts on the importance of

"The Rule of Law Index provides guidance in an objective manner, as a universal standard for self-evaluation and assessment, and as a compass for steering our nations forward, in demand for social, political, and economic justice and advancement." -- Honorable Justice Hassan Bubacar Jallow   The WJP Rule of Law Index relies on over 100,000 household and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced in everyday life around the world. In advance of the launch of the WJP Rule of Law Index 2014, we asked leading global voices to

"If you want to improve the rule of law, you need a way to measure it.

"The rule of law matters to all of us, to the entire human family.

"[The Rule of Law Index] is a tool that can bridge the gap between what we think we need and tell us how we can actually achieve it. And this applies to all countries, be they countries that enjoy developed justice systems, or countries that are in the course of developing justice systems.

"The Index is incredibly useful, not just for academic researchers, who might be interested in how to improve rule of law, but also for people who are working on the ground day to day in this area." -- Jenny S.

"The universality of the rule of law cannot be overemphasized.

"[The WJP Rule of Law Index] is general; it is specific; it is rigorous but accessible.

To strengthen the rule of law in any country, we first need clarity about the fundamental features of the rule of law in order to evaluate it.  

At the World Justice Forum IV in The Hague on July 2013, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg moderated a Keynote Conversation: Women Leadership in Rule of Law with former Chief Justice of Brazil, Ellen Gracie Northfleet, and Nobel laureate and Iranian judge Dr. Shirin Ebadi.

“Effective rule of law helps reduce corruption, alleviate poverty, improve public health and education, and protect people from injustices and dangers large and small. Wherever we come from, the rule of law can always be strengthened.” - William H. Neukom, WJP President & CEO.  

WJP Rule of Law Index 2014 surveys 99 countries on government accountability, crime, fundamental rights, access to justice, and more 

On March 5th, the World Justice Project will launch the WJP Rule of Law Index® 2014, a report that measures how the rule of law is experienced by ordinary people around the world. Our latest release of the Index relies on surveys gathered from over 100,000 citizens and experts worldwide to offer a comprehensive look at a country’s performance in regards to fundamental rights, justice, security, corruption, governance, and other rule of law issues.