Against the backdrop of growing pressure on women’s rights worldwide, UNDP, UN Women, the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and the GQUAL Campaign convened a CSW70 side event to spotlight the essential role of women judges in advancing gender justice and driving systemic reform across justice institutions.

Justice systems can shape gender equality or undermine it. In moments of crisis, women’s access to justice is often among the first rights to erode. Women judges play a critical role in safeguarding these rights, ensuring institutions remain accountable and that women’s voices are reflected in the decisions that affect them most. 

“Women judges drive reforms, challenge bias and open pathways to justice for women and girls. When women lead, justice becomes more responsive, inclusive, and effective,” said Marina Walter, Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, at the opening of the event.

Yet women remain significantly underrepresented in judiciaries worldwide, particularly in senior positions. Their exclusion reflects structural barriers that continue to limit equal participation and diminish institutional legitimacy. Addressing this requires identifying where opportunities for change exist and how to seize them. The event underscored that despite the challenges, there are reasons for optimism. In Kiribati, for example, women judges refused to accept that justice was not their domain - and changed institutions from within.

“Our Chief Justice and our Attorney General are women. When women hold the gavel, the law begins to see women, too,” said H.E. Ruth Cross Kwansing, Minister for Women, Youth, Sports and Social Affairs, Republic of Kiribati.

Beyond individual leadership, women judges are organizing collectively to drive institutional reform. Through the IAWJ – a global network of more than 6,500 judges across over 100 countries and territories – women judges are building solidarity, sharing strategies, and strengthening national women judges’ associations working to expand women’s leadership in the judiciary.

"We must see women judges not only as shaping jurisprudence, but also as catalysts for change from within the system. Across the globe, through IAWJ and our Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) initiative, judges are going beyond the bench to transform judiciaries, working collectively with justice-sector partners to reform the institutions in which they serve,” said Amie Lewis, Senior Program Officer and Director of WILIL, IAWJ.

Women judges from Iraq, Qatar, and Tanzania shared specific experiences from national courts and regional networks where women judges are reshaping judicial culture, advancing gender-responsive decision-making and holding the line amid growing backlash against women’s rights. In the Arab States, a regional network of women judges, supported by the UNDP - UN Women Gender Justice Platform, is now being established - a sign that momentum for change is building across the region.

“We are bringing our expertise together to overcome challenges, advocate for equity and create space for cross-border cooperation that will enhance the role of women in the judiciary. This network will be a platform for transformation and knowledge,” said Judge Taghreed Abdul-Majeed, Deputy President of the Baghdad Al-Rusafa Court of Appeal, President of the Financial Services Court, Head of the Iraqi Association of Women Judges. 

The Gender Justice Platform, jointly led by UNDP and UN Women, supports local and regional networks of women judges and drives meaningful change for women across the full justice chain. Working in over 40 countries, the platform has improved access for justice for more 300,000 women globally, including in crisis and conflict settings. 

“The Gender Justice Platform is a vehicle for change that is felt by women. It’s a unique partnership model that has achieved concrete country-led reforms,” said Ms. Inken Denker, Head of Division Feminist Development Policy, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom support the Gender Justice Platform, enabling long-term reform for stronger justice institutions and scaled women’s leadership in justice across regions.

Justice reform, participants agreed, is not a short-term intervention. It requires multi-year strategies and investment aligned with the pace of institutional change.

“Invest in the Gender Justice Platform, invest in women’s judicial leadership as a core justice reform strategy,” said Sarah Hendriks Director, Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Support Division, UN Women. “Women judges are holding the line. It is time for the rest of the system to hold it with them.”

UN Women and GQUAL presented their joint report “Voices from the Bench: Women Shaping International Justice”. The report shows how women’s presence in international justice reshapes institutions, making them more legitimate, credible and responsive to the societies they serve. It highlights that gender-balanced institutions lead to better decisions, healthier institutions, stronger justice outcomes and advances international law. 

One collective message of encouragement to future generations of women and girls stands out from the women interviewed for the report: “Prepare relentlessly, support each other openly, lead with integrity, and widen the circle. The next generation must not only enter international spaces, but also reshape them, making them more just, inclusive and reflective of the world they serve,” summarized Claudia Martin, Founding Member the GQUAL Campaign. 

The event concluded with a shared commitment to scale up efforts to ensure justice systems worldwide are inclusive, accountable, and equipped to protect the rights of women and girls.

The event was organized by the UNDP - UN Women Gender Justice Platform, IAWJ and GQUAL and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Germany, the Netherlands, Kiribati, and Qatar to the United Nations. 

For inspiring stories of women judges from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Palestine and the Maldives, read our story On the bench, for the people. Women changing justice dedicated to the International Day of Women Judges.