International Day of Women Judges

The 10th of March 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the International Day of Women Judges , a United Nations-recognised day to highlight the strides women have made as judges and judicial officers across the world. It is also a day to draw attention to the barriers to advancement that women still face in achieving equal representation in the judiciary . It is worth looking back at some of the progress South African women judges have made , especially in the last year. According to the Annual Judiciary Report 2024/25 , women now make up 49% (or 122) of the 251 judges in South Africa. This is from the low base of only two women out of about 150 judges in 1994. Women lead six of the 16 superior courts, occupying two of the top four leadership positions , including Chief Justice Mandisa Maya and Supreme Court of Appeal President Mahube Molemela . The numbers are even more impressive in the lower court judiciary, where women make up 54% of all magistrates, and ten of the 14 chief mag...

This month, the Commonwealth joined the international community to mark the inaugural International Day of Women Judges on March 10th . It is a day designated by the United Nations to promote women’s full and equal participation at all levels of the judiciary. On this day and more generally throughout the year, we celebrate women’s contribution to the judiciary and raise awareness of the challenges faced by women in the legal sector. Progress made but still a long way to go Women’s representation in the judiciary has come a long way, but it remains far from being equal to that of men. Historically, the judiciary has been a male-dominated field, with women facing significant barriers to entry and promotion. In recent years, there has been an increase in women’s representation, resulting in more women qualifying as lawyers and being appointed to judicial positions. For instance, in Rwanda, nearly half of all judges are women. And there have been positive developments in women’s represen...