Justice Ayesha Malik: Breaking Barriers

Ayesha Malik became the first woman ever appointed to Pakistan’s Supreme Court, paving the way for women across the country to advance in all fields. In every sense of the word, she is a global scholar—having studied in Paris, New York, London, Lahore, and ultimately Boston, where she earned her law degree from Harvard University. Throughout her career, she has championed transformative legal change: notably, she ruled virginity tests unconstitutional, expanded the definition of workplace harassment, set a precedent barring the use of military courts to prosecute civilians, and strengthened safeguards for women’s property rights.

In conversation with the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) as part of the organization’s Justice Beyond the Bench podcast, Malik reflected on how her global education shaped her legal career, the challenges she faced as she assumed her historic role in Pakistan’s judiciary, what her appointment has meant for women and countries around the world, and how cultural norms influenced her professional trajectory.