PRESS RELEASE
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN JUDGES DAY 2026
Women Judges on the Bench and Beyond: Protecting Access to Justice
10 March 2026
On behalf of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN), I join women judges across Nigeria, Africa, and the global community to commemorate International Women Judges Day, observed annually on 10 March. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the critical role women judges play in upholding the rule of law, promoting equality before the law, and strengthening public confidence in justice systems across the world.
This year’s theme, “Women Judges on the Bench and Beyond: Protecting Access to Justice,” affirms that judicial service transcends the courtroom. While women judges sit on the bench to interpret the law, safeguard rights, and uphold constitutional values, their influence extends beyond adjudication into leadership, reform, mentorship, and institutional advancement.
In Nigeria, women judges continue to demonstrate exceptional commitment to judicial independence, integrity, and the protection of fundamental rights. Their presence on the bench enhances public confidence in the justice system and contributes significantly to fair, inclusive, and responsive adjudication.
However, despite the remarkable contributions of women within the judiciary, a noticeable representation gap still exists within the judiciary, with women judges remaining fewer in number across many jurisdictions, particularly at senior judicial levels. According to findings from the Women in Law and Leadership (WILIL) Project survey on judicial appointments and gender parity across states in Nigeria, women currently constitute approximately 38 percent of judges within the Nigerian judiciary.
This continuing disparity highlights the importance of sustained efforts to promote gender parity in judicial appointments and leadership positions in order to strengthen inclusiveness, diversity, and balanced representation within the justice system.
Women judges reinforce the legitimacy, credibility, and humanity of the justice system through gender-responsive adjudication, contextual interpretation of the law, principled reasoning, and equitable treatment of litigants. Women’s representation within the judiciary strengthens institutions, inspires confidence among litigants who might otherwise feel marginalized, and ensures that judicial systems reflect the diversity of the societies they serve.
Access to justice remains one of the most pressing global challenges. Many individuals and communities continue to encounter structural, financial, social, and procedural barriers that limit their ability to seek redress and effectively engage with the justice system. These barriers are often experienced by persons with disabilities, survivors of violence, internally displaced persons, the elderly, and those living in poverty.
Women judges are uniquely positioned to advance access to justice by ensuring procedural fairness, adopting trauma-informed courtroom practices, permitting reasonable accommodations, interpreting laws through a human rights lens, strengthening institutional responses to gender-based violence, and advocating systemic reforms that simplify procedures and enhance accessibility.
Justice must not only exist in principle; it must also be attainable in practice. International Women Judges Day also provides an opportunity to reflect on progress made in advancing gender equality within the judiciary while acknowledging the challenges that persist. Despite measurable progress in many jurisdictions, women remain less represented in several judicial systems, particularly in senior leadership positions.
As we mark this important day, the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the advancement of women in the judiciary and the protection of those who encounter barriers in accessing justice. We stand in solidarity with colleagues across the global community of the International Association of Women Judges in strengthening the rule of law and expanding meaningful access to justice worldwide.
Women judges remain steadfast in shaping justice systems that are fair, compassionate, independent, and accessible in accordance with the rule of law.
Let us continue to serve not only on the bench, but beyond it, as guardians of fairness, champions of equality, and custodians of hope.
Signed
Hon. Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, CFR
President
National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN)