FIDA Nigeria Convenes Consultative Session for Women Judicial Officers in Sokoto on Leadership and Career Progression

By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi

International Federation of Women Lawyers, Sokoto State chapter, has organised a capacity building workshop for women judicial officers tagged “Strengthening Women Inclusion and Advancement in Nigeria Judiciary Through Institutional Reforms” aimed at improving career advancement and leadership opportunities for women within Nigeria’s judiciary.

The programme, which took place in Sokoto State on Wednesday with support from Co-Impact focused on promoting gender inclusion and addressing institutional barriers limiting women’s progress in the judicial system.

Speaking at the workshop, the FIDA County Vice President/NationalPresident, Mrs. Eliana Martins represented by the immediate past County Vice President/National President, Mrs.Amina Suzanah Agbaje, said the consultation was designed to examine the challenges women face from recruitment into the judiciary to promotion, leadership appointments and professional development.

She observed that although more women are entering the legal profession in Nigeria, representation at the highest levels of the judiciary remains inadequate.

Martins referenced trailblazers such as Justice Aloma Maryam Mukhtar andJustice Zainab Bulkachuwa as symbols of progress for women in the legal profession, while noting that women still occupy relatively few senior judicial positions nationwide.

According to her, women currently make up only four of the 13 justices of the Supreme Court despite the country having a female Chief Justice. She described the appointment of a woman as Chief Justice in 2024 as a notable achievement, but said deeper structural inequalities still persist within the judiciary.

She identified socio cultural discrimination, lack of institutional support, limited mentoring opportunities, unclear promotion processes and patriarchal traditions, political interference as some of the major obstacles affecting women’s growth in the sector.

Mrs Martins further stated that stereotypes surrounding women’s competence, especially in customary and Islamic law matters, continue to affect their advancement.

She explained that the consultations being held across states would help FIDA gather first hand information on the experiences of female judicial officers and support reforms aimed at promoting equality, diversity and fairness within the justice system.

The Chairperson of the FIDA Nigeria Sokoto State Branch, Zainab Bello Aliyu described the dialogue as a timely intervention and encouraged participants to contribute meaningfully to discussions on improving women’s access to leadership roles in the judiciary.

Speaking during the session, facilitator Mr. Ezekiel highlighted the low number of women occupying leadership positions within Nigeria’s judicial system. He also cited Sokoto’s Justice Aisha Dahiru as the longest serving Chief Judge of a High Court in the country, describing it as a major achievement for women in the judiciary.

He noted that women account for only about 29 per cent representation in the superior courts, stressing that gender imbalance remains a major issue.

Participants at the workshop identified challenges such as family responsibilities, work life balance, political interference, cultural expectations and indigenisation policies as factors limiting women’s participation and career progression in the judiciary.

Some also pointed to the requirement of 10 years post call experience before judicial appointments as a major barrier affecting women’s advancement.

Others commended ongoing reforms under Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Sa’idu Sifawa, noting improvements in the judicial appointment process, particularly for magistrate recruitment.

Resource persons at the workshop called for more flexible policies within the judiciary to address women’s unique needs and create an enabling environment for their professional growth and leadership development.