From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has expressed worry over the persistent under-representation of women in leadership positions within Nigeria’s judiciary despite progress recorded globally and regionally in women’s empowerment.
FIDA Country Vice President and National President, Mrs. Eliana Martins, raised the concern in Awka during a consultative dialogue with women judicial officers organised with support from Co-Impact, a global philanthropic organisation.
The engagement, themed “Probing Women’s Career Progression and Leadership Pathways in the Judiciary,” seeks to strengthen women’s inclusion and advancement in Nigeria’s judiciary through institutional reforms.
Represented by the National Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Chineze Obianyo, Martins lamented the continued structural gender imbalance within the judiciary despite increased participation of women in legal education and professional practice since Nigeria’s independence.
According to her, the dialogue would provide an opportunity to examine the barriers confronting women in their career progression, including entry, retention, promotion, leadership opportunities and workplace experiences within the judiciary.
She noted that although Nigeria had recorded major milestones with the emergence of Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar as the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria and Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa as the first female President of the Court of Appeal, women remained largely under-represented in judicial leadership positions.
“Currently, only four out of the 13 justices of the Supreme Court are women, representing about 31 per cent. While the appointment of the current female Chief Justice in 2024 marked an important milestone, it did little to offset the broader systemic imbalance,” she said.
Martins attributed the disparity to longstanding socio-cultural biases, discriminatory workplace practices and the absence of institutional safeguards that would support women’s advancement.
According to her, women in the judiciary often face restricted access to leadership pipelines, opaque promotion systems, deeply rooted patriarchal norms, limited mentoring opportunities and gender stereotypes questioning their competence, especially in cases involving customary or Islamic law.
“This dialogue provides a platform to understand women’s experiences in their career trajectory within the judiciary and examine the factors responsible for their low representation in leadership positions.
“It will also help generate state-by-state analysis of the barriers and challenges faced by women judicial officers while laying the foundation for an inclusive judiciary,” she added.
Gender imbalance in Nigerian Judiciary still worrisome — FIDA
