What We Do
Advance human rights and equal justice for women and girls
How We Do It
Empower women on the bench to overcome gender bias in the laws and their application
What You Can Do
Join our network of women judges to benefit from our global expertise and strengthen our collective mission
The International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose members represent all levels of the judiciary worldwide and share a commitment to equal justice for women and the rule of law. Created in 1991, the IAWJ has grown to a membership of over 6000 in 85 countries.
Keep Current
You Said It...
Judges have an affirmative ethical responsibility to act so that access to justice becomes a reality. In their presentations IAWJ judges demonstrated how they, by being vigilant, creative and practical, take steps to address obstacles that many women and girls face in the courtroom and in asserting their rights. - President Hon. Vanessa RuizMore
In the Spotlight
IAWJ Participates in ILAC's Guatemala Justice Sector Assessment Despite being at peace for over twenty years, the impact of the conflict and violence the the 1960s internal conflict in Guatemala are still felt today, particularly in the rule of law. The International Legal Aid Consortium (ILAC) conducted a Rule of Law assessment on the Justice Sector in Guatemala. To implement the needs assessment, Read More
Meet Vanessa Ruiz IAWJ President
Upon being sworn in as IAWJ President, Hon. Vanessa Ruiz commenced her presidency noting that values of "liberal democracy that accept the rule of law, human rights and inclusiveness” are being rejected in a number of countries; that judges and courts, the safeguards of these values, are under challenge and attack. “To make equal justice a reality, there needs to be a framework Read More