International Day of Women Judges Date in the current year: March 10, 2024

Although the engagement of women in public life has been increasing steadily over the past years, their representation in decision-making positions still leaves much to be desired. This applies, among other things, to women’s representation in the judiciary, particularly when it comes to senior leadership positions.

Gender representation and racial diversity in the judiciary are important because they help to ensure that courts represent all groups of citizens, properly address their concerns, and make sound judgments. The mere presence of women judges increases the legitimacy of courts, signaling that they are inclusive and represent the people who seek justice.

In most of the world, women historically faced significant barriers in pursuing legal careers. Women began to graduate from law schools in the late 19th century; one of the first women to be appointed as a judge was Mary Bartelme, who served as an assistant judge in the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Illinois. In 1913, The New York Times described her as “American’s only woman judge”.

For a long time, female judges were an exception rather than the norm. Although today women are not prohibited from being judges outright in most countries, they still face gender stereotyping and discrimination, which makes it harder for them to build a legal career in general and a career in the judiciary in particular.

Despite the fact that the number of women judges has been growing over the past few decades (according to statistics, 40% of judges were women as of 2017), relatively few women hold senior positions in the judiciary. For example, in Europe women represent only 41% of judges in national supreme courts and only 25% of court presidents.

The lack of women judges in the judiciary, especially at the highest levels, not only has negative effects on the rule of law, it also has social ramifications for the generations to come. Inclusion of women in the judiciary helps to inspire the next generation of women judges by making young women see that they are capable of doing any job, including becoming judges.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 10 the International Day of Women Judges in its resolution adopted in April 2021. It is marked by awareness campaigns and educational activities that aim to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels of the judiciary, as well as to celebrate the progress that has already been made and the women who have overcome gender bias to achieve positions in the highest courts.

The International Day of Women Judges is part of a larger campaign that aims to promote the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda, particularly Global Goal 5 that concerns gender equality and its Target 5.5: “Ensure full participation in leadership and decision-making”.