- FIDA, CO-IMPACT URGE REFORMS TO BOOST WOMEN’S INCLUSION IN JUDICIARY
The Federacion Internationalé De Abogadas which is International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Kogi State, in collaboration with Co-Impact, has called on female judicial officers to work towards strengthening women’s inclusion and advancement in Nigeria through institutional reforms.
The National President of FIDA, Eliana Martins, made this known at a consultative dialogue and engagement with female judicial officers held at the NUT Hall in Lokoja, the state capital.
Represented by her Vice President, Martins said the dialogue, supported by Co-Impact, provides a platform to examine barriers faced by women and their career trajectories, from entry and retention to progression, thriving, and leadership roles.
She noted that despite gains recorded in post-independence Nigeria and the increasing participation of women in legal education and professional practice, structural gender imbalance within the judiciary persists.
Martins highlighted that while iconic figures such as Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, the first female President of the Court of Appeal, represent significant breakthroughs, they remain exceptions that underscore the broader underrepresentation of women in judicial leadership.
She added that, despite global and regional progress in women’s empowerment, Nigerian women are still grossly underrepresented in the judiciary.
According to her, women currently make up only four out of the thirteen justices of the Supreme Court, representing about 31 percent. She described the appointment of a female Chief Justice in 2024 as a milestone, but noted that it does not offset the systemic imbalance.
Martins attributed these challenges to long-standing socio-cultural biases, discriminatory workplace practices, and the absence of institutional safeguards.
She said women often face restricted access to leadership pipelines, opaque promotion systems, entrenched patriarchal norms, limited mentoring opportunities, and gender-based stereotypes about their competence, particularly in cases involving customary or Islamic law.
She explained that the dialogue aims to better understand women’s experiences within the judiciary, analyse state-by-state barriers, and lay the foundation for collective advocacy towards a more inclusive judicial system.
She further described the engagement as a critical step towards promoting evidence-based, inclusive, and equitable reforms that address the needs of female judicial officers, while strengthening collaboration to drive gender-equitable outcomes.
In his remarks, the Senior Manager, Programs and Partnerships at FIDA Nigeria, Fikir Obaro, said the dialogue was designed to examine the challenges faced by women in the judiciary and to proffer solutions that would enable them to carry out their duties without discrimination.
He stressed the need for reforms that ensure equal opportunities for promotion and professional development, and urged the judiciary to take deliberate steps to advance women into leadership positions. He also encouraged female judicial officers to speak openly about their challenges and experiences.
Earlier, the Kogi State Chairperson of FIDA, Barrister Oluwakemi Omeiza Usman, said the workshop was organised to highlight the challenges affecting the recruitment and advancement of women in the judiciary.
She expressed optimism that the dialogue would produce actionable solutions to enhance women’s participation and create a more conducive working environment within the judicial system.
