CJ lauds increasing number of females in Judiciary

The Chief Justice, Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo has highlighted Ghana's progress in increasing women's representation in the judiciary, noting a significant rise in the number of female judges and magistrates over the past four years.

She stressed the importance of establishing robust resilience measures to support women's participation in the legal profession and judiciary, ensuring they can perform at their best.

Chief Justice Torkornoo made this appeal during the launch of the Gender Equality in Law Campaign (GELC) in Accra on Friday, July 5, 2024.

The high-level event, organized by the Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, also marked the official launch of the Gender Equality in Law Campaign (GELC), a Pan-African initiative premised on the 3 A’s –Awareness, Advocacy, and Activation.

The Campaign uses evidence-based research to raise awareness about the challenges women face in the legal profession. It engages in  Advocacy with crucial institutional stakeholders. 

It calls for the Activation of institutional change by providing gender equality in the law Model Policy that law firms and judiciaries can adopt. 

The gathering attracted over 200 participants, including esteemed members of the Judiciary, the bar, the legal academy, civil society groups, law students, international organizations, and the diplomatic corps.

Chief Justice Torkornoo further urged all members of the legal profession to support this vital initiative and stressed that women’s strong presence in the legal profession must invite campaigns such as GELC. 

She pointed out that gender bias and unfavorable competitive practices often deter women from pursuing their ambitions, with negative stereotypes and comments affecting their mental health and self-esteem.

Also, the Chief Justice emphasized the need for a persistent campaign to achieve gender parity and fairness in the workplace and stressed the importance of stakeholder engagement and public advocacy in driving necessary policy reforms.

Other speakers at the event were Mrs. Sheila Minkah-Premo, who gave the welcome address, Jackson Otieno, Program Manager at Co-Impact, Dr. Satang Nabaneh, Research Professor of Law, Ms. Elizabeth Adu, Chair of the Board of Directors at IAW and several others who participated in the panel discussions.