While all countries in South Asia have ratified the United Nations conventions on the rights of women and of children, they have lacked the level of political will and administrative effort that is needed to implement the provisions. For example, laws to prevent sex-selective abortions and VAW have been in place for several years with varying degrees of success across countries of South Asia. Public pressure and collective action facilitated by an active media can put pressure on the political, administrative and legal systems to act to enforce the law. However, women face discrimination in various forms when they go to seek redress, especially when those institutions such as the police, judiciary, religious and tribal councils are male dominated, reinforcing the underlying power structures in a society.