FIDA Trains 35 Women Judicial Officers on Leadership, Career Growth in Kebbi

By Yusuf Gwandu

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kebbi Chapter, has trained 35 women judicial officers on career progression and leadership pathways within the judiciary.

The workshop, held in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday with support from Co-Impact, focused on strengthening women’s inclusion and advancing gender equity through institutional reforms in the Nigerian judiciary.

Speaking at the event, the Country Vice President/National President of FIDA, Mrs Eliana Martins, said the dialogue was aimed at examining barriers affecting women at various stages of their professional journey.

“The consultation provides an avenue to assess issues relating to entry into the judiciary, retention, career progression, leadership opportunities and professional growth for women judicial officers,” she said.

Martins said that despite the increasing participation of women in legal education and professional practice in Nigeria, gender imbalance within the judiciary still persisted.

She noted that landmark achievements by distinguished jurists such as Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria, and Zainab Bulkachuwa represented important milestones for women in the judiciary.

She, however, observed that women remained underrepresented in top judicial leadership positions across the country.

“We recognise the progress made globally and regionally in women empowerment, but Nigerian women are still grossly underrepresented in the judiciary.

“Although the Chief Justice of Nigeria is currently a woman, only four out of the 13 justices of the Supreme Court are women, representing about 31 per cent.

“The appointment of a female Chief Justice in 2024 was a major milestone, but it has not completely addressed the systemic imbalance within the judiciary,” she said.

Martins attributed the challenges confronting women judicial officers to socio-cultural biases, discriminatory workplace practices and inadequate institutional safeguards.

She also identified limited access to leadership pipelines, opaque promotion systems, inadequate mentoring opportunities and entrenched patriarchal norms as barriers to women’s advancement in the judiciary.

According to her, gender stereotypes questioning women’s competence, particularly in matters relating to customary and Islamic law, also remain major concerns.

Martins said the state-level consultations would assist FIDA in gathering data on the experiences and challenges confronting female judicial officers across the country.

She added that the initiative would lay the foundation for evidence-based reforms aimed at promoting fairness, diversity and gender justice within the judiciary.

“We believe this engagement is a critical step toward building a more inclusive and equitable judiciary that reflects the principles of justice and equality,” she added.

Earlier, the Chairperson of FIDA in Kebbi State, Mrs Hauwa Usman-Usara, urged participants to engage actively in the discussions to enhance pathways for women judicial officers to attain career growth and leadership positions.

She described the dialogue as timely and important in addressing institutional reforms affecting women in the judiciary.

The theme of the one-day consultation was, “Improving Women’s Career Progression and Leadership Pathways in the Judiciary.”