Balancing Justice
Four stories that show how USAID is championing women judges
Only about one-third of the world’s judges are women.
To help increase their representation, USAID is promoting the full and equal participation of women at all levels of the judiciary and in the courtroom. This has included promoting diversity in the judiciary by focusing on integrating women into improvements in civil and commercial courts, such as IT upgrades, case management systems, and better customer service; increasing the number of women in judicial diploma programs; and supporting women’s judges associations.
With the rollout of USAID’s new Rule of Law Policy set for the second Summit for Democracy later this month, women judges are well poised to support the implementation of our People Centered Justice approach, bringing their unique experiences and community perspectives to their official decisions. In commemoration of International Day of Women Judges, read four examples below of how USAID is championing women judges.
From Refugee to a Refuge for Justice
Prior to becoming the President of the Constitutional Court in Kosovo, Gresa Caka-Nimani was a Senior Legal Advisor for the Democracy and Governance Office with the USAID Mission in Kosovo. From this experience, she gained an in-depth understanding of how USAID supports the rule of law and women judges in Kosovo. During the 1998–99 conflict in Kosovo, Gresa spent several months as a refugee. After the conflict, she returned to complete law school and supported a team of U.S. constitutional law experts to draft Kosovo’s 2008 Constitution.
As a new country, Kosovo lacked experience with judicial independence and rule of law. But with her support, these principles were enshrined as part of the new Constitution. Now, Kosovo has an advanced legal framework harmonized with its EU aspirations, even as it continues to grapple with implementation.
“The establishment of my country has taught and inspired me to commit to the development of the rule of law,” she says. “There is nothing more essential for properly upholding the values of the Constitution and ensuring not only equality and equity but also continuous development and prosperity for a country.”
A Pioneer in Ethiopia’s Legal Landscape
Judge Meaza Ashenafi Mengistu is the first woman to become Chief Justice of the Ethiopian Federal Supreme Court. She has long been a pioneer in the field of law as a well-known women’s rights advocate who co-founded the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) and the Enat Bank — a bank specifically for women. Meaza credits her mother as the source of her strength and for encouraging good values, such as honesty and fairness, which are critical for a judge.
“Yes, a judge will always be expected to interpret the law impartially, but at the end of the day, we should have our eye on justice. If we don’t deliver that, we fail,” she said.
Meaza, along with other EWLA members, helped introduce major amendments supporting women’s rights to several Ethiopian laws including those related to the family, crime, labor, and citizenship. These amendments played a significant role in criminalizing domestic violence and female genital mutilation. She also worked to restore the public’s trust in the judiciary and improve gender parity in the judiciary.
In 2019, six additional women were appointed as judges at the Federal Supreme Court. Through the Feteh (“Justice” in the Amharic language) project, USAID has supported the judiciary to implement reforms consistent with international human rights norms and legal standards and to improve court administration by introducing a more people-centered approach to justice.
Forging New Pathways in Egypt
As one of the first female judges in Egypt, Judge Hanan Dahroug is well acquainted with the long and difficult path to a place on the bench. After a study tour to Morocco, senior officials of the Ministry of Justice developed a plan to integrate women into the judiciary by transferring female administrative prosecutors. Unlike the pathway that men were able to take, this first group of women judges had to pass specific written and oral tests. The judge was one of the first 30 women selected and sworn in to the first instance courts in 2007, from a pool of 124 applicants.
The women embarked on overseas study tours, and received additional training on mediation and court management. With support from a USAID study tour for women judges, Hanan participated in an exchange of ideas about the various types of judicial systems and how judges can accommodate the needs of the public which has helped her become a more effective judge.
This included “discussions with American judges about the importance of the judge’s role not only in sitting on the bench, but more importantly their role in civil society by raising awareness among citizens about their rights and their role in society,” she explained.
Women Judges Supporting Each Other in Kyrgyzstan
In 2012, Feruza Jamasheva was elected by her colleagues as chairwoman of Kyrgyz Republic’s Supreme Court. She later became president of the Kyrgyz Association of Women Judges, which was founded in 2015 and is working to promote women in the judiciary, enhance civic education, and address issues facing the judicial profession. Members have consistently participated in international conferences held bi-annually by the International Association of Women Judges to build their network of women judges and learn from their successes and challenges.
USAID is working with the Ministry of Justice, courts, and the Association of Women Judges to build a judiciary that is more responsive to the needs of Kyrgyz citizens, building citizen trust and confidence in judicial systems. USAID’s efforts are currently focusing on people-centered justice, gender equality and women’s empowerment, and putting learning into action. Previous USAID programming has supported judges, like Feruza, with enhanced IT support systems, reforms to judicial training that mainstreamed mandatory training for sitting and newly appointed judges, the development of a code of ethics, and new tools for better analysis and decision making.
About the Author
Teresa Cannady is the Justice, Rights and Security Consultant for USAID’s Center for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.
