International Day of Women Judges

In March 2024, UNODC launched a mentorship programme under the Women in Justice – Women for Justice initiative , which provides women in anti-corruption law enforcement and the judiciary with mentorship, practical leadership guidance and global networking. By s upporting their professional growth , the initiative aims to strengthen and advance gender-responsive justice .

Women in the criminal justice system can act as agents of change. Diversity and inclusion enrich all institutions and contribute to greater accountability. Women judges bring different perspectives and experiences, strengthening judicial systems . Women in leadership roles help disrupt networks of collusion, striking a blow against corruption. Women’s representation in law enforcement and judicial institutions has been linked to more effective, victim-centred responses to crime. The number of women and girls coming into contact with the criminal justice system, as victims, witnesses and prisoners, has increased in the past 20 years. However, greater efforts are still needed to support women to access justice and ensure that criminal justice institutions fully respond to their needs. By investing in women’s advancement and women justice leaders , we can help ensure that justice is better served and that women and all members of our societies are met with fairness and equality b...

  In the judiciary system , the women play a very special role. It is not about the equality only, it goes beyond that. In all judiciaries, at national and international courts, judges interpret the law, they decide about others. To be a good judge, it is never sufficient enough to know the law well. In fact, excellent knowledge of the law is an obvious prerequisite for a solid judicial performance . However, we judges should be endowed with something else as well, something that we call a sense for justice, a sense for fairness . We all may define this sense in a slightly different way. Understanding this sense reflects our education, our career and life experience. It also reflects our perspective. It is one of the most important features that brings an essential balance to the judicial decision-making processes .

The United Nations General Assembly declared in a resolution adopted by consensus that March 10th as   International Day of Women Judges . The celebration became an innovative novelty in addition to the International Women’s Day . The United Nations General Assembly Resolution sends a powerful message to the world, to all women judges that their work matters and is irreplaceable, to all male judges that the judiciary, both national and international , is not a male dominated field anymore. It is a message to all young girls and women that women judges are intensely needed to enrich the judicial field with women’s sense for justice and fairness, in addition to the legal knowledge . Women judges and women judicial leaders play an irreplaceable role in modern judiciary.

Work-related disputes at the United Nations cannot be resolved through national courts due to the Organization’s unique international legal status. For this reason, the Organization provides an internal system of justice for all UN system staff . This section explains the various components of the UN’s internal system of justice, and describes how to resolve work-related disputes informally and if necessary, formally . Staff should review this website to learn about the resources available to them when seeking resolution of a dispute and the steps they need to take to proceed. Learn more about the UN's internal justice system → New! Toolkit for self-represented litigants (UNDT) (interactive video)→ New! Toolkit for self-represented litigants (UNAT) (interactive video)→ New! How do I appeal – booklet → New! Timelines – wallet card →