Chief Justice Maya calls for more women in senior judicial roles across Africa

Appeal made at Johannesburg gathering of senior women judges focused on gender equality in justice systems.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya urged African countries to appoint more women to senior judicial positions during the second High-Level Meeting of Women Judicial Leaders of Africa in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 22 April 2026¹². The gathering brought together senior women judges from across the continent to discuss gender-responsive justice systems and women's leadership in the legal sector¹.

Maya said equitable gender representation in the judiciary would enhance the justice system's capacity to deliver impartial and inclusive decisions¹. When all the genders are equitably represented, the justice system gains broader perspectives, richer insight, and deeper empathy, thereby enhancing its capacity to deliver justice impartially and inclusively, she said¹. She described gender balance as a vital step towards realising the whole promise of justice in society¹.

In her keynote address, Maya highlighted the Maputo Protocol as a landmark achievement, ratified by 46 countries and recognised as one of Africa's most progressive legal instruments for women's rights protection¹.

Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said women across Africa must experience justice as a lived reality rather than only as a constitutional promise². She said women judges had a critical role in ensuring court decisions protect women from violence and make justice meaningful in daily life². If a woman who is being raped does not see justice in the court, she remains trapped in a relationship that is abusive, and therefore you need the executive, you need the legislature, you need the judiciary working together without interference, Chikunga said².

The meeting was also attended by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi¹.