Work-Life Balance, Bias Limiting Women Judges — NAWJN President

The National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN) has stressed the policy and strategy that will bridge the barriers limiting women from reaching the zenith of their careers in the legal profession.

This is just as Chief Judge of Kano state, Hon. Justice Dije Aboki, lamented that the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is a barrier undermining the talent and capacity of women and must be challenged

While asserting on Friday in Kano, the Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Kubura M. O. Kekere-Ekun, worried that women in the legal profession are still nursing a barrier because they believe certain positions are more suited to the male gender.

However, she stated that female practitioners on the bench and bar have a critical role to play in promoting sensitive policy towards the course of the justice system in Nigeria.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, however, was worried about a certain clog in the growth of the female gender in the judiciary.

She noted that the association is confident that women are occupying leadership positions in some capacities and insisted that “it is not yet Uhuru.”

She spoke at the opening of two two-day North West zonal workshops of NAWJN being hosted by the Kano state government.

According to the Supreme Court Justice, women in the judiciary are still battling with “domestic impediments, difficulty in maintaining the work-life balance, lack of support in the home, working conditions not favourable to women, such as posting out of the reach of their families, gender bias, the belief that certain positions are more suited to the male gender, and a lack of mentorship programmes for leadership.”

Justice Kekere-Ekun, who doubles as president of NAWJN, said that to address some of the predicaments, NAWJN is partnering with Co-Impact, a philanthropic collaborative fund, to develop and implement a multi-year programme that enables, supports, and promotes sustainable leadership skills for women in the leadership circle.

According to her, an initiative will be implemented in collaboration with affiliate associations in five countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Kenya, and the Philippines, that seems to address and work out strategies to overcome barriers confronting women in leadership positions.

With the theme of the workshop, “Breaking Leadership Barriers for Women in the Legal Profession,” the NAWJN President said it is expected that critical discussion that will provoke high-impact decisions that will bring about solutions to the barriers will be generated.

Earlier, the Chief Judge of Kano State, Hon. Justice Dije Aboki, added that the theme of the workshop resonated deeply with the principles of justice and equality that form the bedrock of the legal system.

She lamented that the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is a barrier undermining the talent and capacity of women and must be challenged.

Justice Aboki, who just five months ago became the first female CJ in Kano, disclosed that she was optimistic that women would overcome the militating factors, even as she acknowledged the appointment of a woman presently holding the position of President of the Court of Appeal and 13 female judges assuming the esteemed position of Chief Judges of the 36 states.

While declaring the occasion open, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kano State, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, said that despite the ugly practice in some parts of the country, Kano is setting a milestone with significant consideration for the recent appointment of female judges.

According to him,” Kano has a 50 per cent population of judges of the state high court and five of the nine newly approved judges of the high court.”