The Accountability and Transparency Program (ACT), implemented through the IAWJ’s Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) initiative in South Africa, in partnership with the South Africa Chapter of the IAWJ (SAC-IAWJ), works to advance gender equality and strengthen women’s leadership within the judiciary. While women have made significant gains in entry-level judicial positions, structural barriers—including patriarchal norms, sexual harassment, and opaque appointment and promotion processes—continue to limit their access to leadership roles in higher courts. ACT focuses on creating an enabling environment where women judges can rise, thrive, and lead by embedding gender-sensitive reforms directly into institutional policies and procedures.

ACT drives change through the development and enforcement of key institutional tools. These include standardized recruitment and selection criteria for acting magistrates, a judiciary-wide sexual harassment policy, and a transparent Code of Conduct for the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). By partnering with judicial leadership to implement these policies, the program strengthens accountability in promotion processes and increases trust among women judicial officers, encouraging them to pursue leadership opportunities.