International court representation gap for African women

May 16th, 2024
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The Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) published the IAWL Gender Scorecard 2024 looking at international courts and tribunals, focusing on African women. According to the IAWL the gender scorecard provides statistics on the representation of women in international and regional courts across the globe.

The summary published by the IAWL looked at the seven international courts, totalling 98 judges, made up of 33 females, 65 males, comprising of 21 African women, and 36 African men. The IAWL report stated that men have traditionally dominated the legal field, and this has been reflected in the underrepresentation of women in many courts around the world.

The reports added that in most African courts, African women judges currently holding positions are pioneers, breaking new ground in their roles. In contrast, in international courts, the legal community has consistently acknowledged and empowered African women in law, granting them opportunities to serve on international Benches. The IAWL Gender Scorecard evaluates the progress and challenges associated with the representation of African women judges in international courts across the globe.

The IAWL pointed out that the recent achievements of African women in various international spheres have been truly remarkable. Despite the significant steps forward, there are still significant gaps to be addressed before African women reach parity with their male counterparts in international court representation. The organisation said that the summary takes a close look at the successes, concerns, and essential next steps required for African women’s judicial equality. The project featured seven international and regional courts, four on the African continent and three in other parts of the world.

‘The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights exhibits a relatively balanced representation of genders. This is commendable, as a balanced gender representation helps bring diverse perspectives to the decision-making process. The gender imbalance of the two divisions of the COMESA Court of Justice and the East African Court of Justice is concerning, and both courts are called to prioritise gender parity,’ the summary read.

The organisation added that the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals commendably promote gender parity, and in the case of the ICC, three of its four African judges are women. Despite these triumphs, there is still a significant underrepresentation of women in the International Court of Justice, as only one African woman serves on this court.

Kgomotso Ramotsho Cert Journ (Boston) Cert Photography (Vega) is the news reporter at De Rebus.

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