This focuses on the outcomes and impacts of laws and policies. Substantive equality goes far beyond creating formal legal equality for women (where all are equal under the law) and means that governments are responsible for the impact of laws. This requires governments to tailor legislation to respond to the realities of women’s lives. Striving for substantive equality also places a responsibility on governments to implement laws, through gender-responsive governance and functioning justice systems that meet women’s needs. Substantive equality is a concept expressed in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It recognizes that because of historic discrimination, women do not start on an equal footing to men.