Research

Research that informs and transforms the nexus between discourse and praxis to promote transformative leadership and gender equality.

Flagship Reports

Our flagship reports are comprehensive, continent-wide studies that highlight systemic challenges and opportunities for advancing gender equality in the legal profession. They serve as key resources for policymakers, scholars, and institutions working toward inclusive legal systems.

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Leadership Reports

The Women in Law and Leadership reports offer country-specific analyses of women’s representation in the bar, bench, and legal academy. Backed by data and interviews, these reports provide actionable recommendations to dismantle structural barriers and promote women’s leadership in law.

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Gender Scorecards

The Gender Scorecards are monitoring tools that evaluate how well legal institutions uphold gender equality. Using clear benchmarks, they track institutional performance over time, foster accountability, and encourage continuous improvement toward gender-inclusive practices.

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Research Database

Enibokun Uzebu-Imarhiagbe (2020) Women in the Nigerian judiciary: considerable headway or organised progress?, International Journal of the Legal Profession, DOI: 10.1080/09695958.2020.1750410

Dawuni, Josephine. (2016). Gender and the Judiciary: An Introduction. In Bauer, Gretchen and Dawuni, Josephine (eds.). In Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge.

Dawuni, Josephine. (2016). Ghana: The Paradox of Judicial Stagnation. In Bauer, Gretchen and Dawuni, Josephine (eds.) In Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge.

Dawuni, Josephine. (2016). ‘To “Mother” or not to “Mother”: The Representative Roles of Women Judges in Ghana. Journal of African Law, 60 (3) 419–440. doi: 10.1017/S0021855316000115.

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). African Women Judges on International Courts: Symbolic or Substantive Gains? University of Baltimore Law Review Vol. 47, 2 (3).

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). Challenging Gender Universalism and Unveiling the Silenced Narrative of the African Woman Judge. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A, (eds.). International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge.

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). Judge Akua Kuenyehia: Journey of a Women’s Rights Activist. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A, (eds.). International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge.

Dawuni, Josephine. (2019). Matri-legal Feminism: An African Feminist Response to International Law. In Ogg, Kate and Rimmer, Sue Harris (eds.). Feminist Approaches to International Law. Edward Elgar Publishing).

Dawuni, Josephine and Kang, Alice. (2015). Her Ladyship Chief Justice: The rise of female leaders in the judiciary in Africa. Africa Today, 62 (2), pp 45-69.

Dawuni, Josephine and Kuenyehia, Akua. (2018). International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unlocking Doors, Leaving a Legacy. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A, (eds.). International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge.

Dawuni, Josephine and Masengu, Tabeth. (2019). Process and Progress: Women and Judicial Appointments to the Bench in Nigeria and Zambia. In, Sterret, Susan and Lee, Walker (eds.), Law and Courts. Edward Elgar Research Handbook.

Escobar-Lemmon, Maria, Valerie Hoekstra, Alice J. Kang, and Miki Kittilson. 2019. "Appointing Women to High Courts." In Research Handbook on Law and Courts, edited by Susan Sterett and Lee Demetrius Walker. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Escobar-Lemmon, Maria, Valerie Hoekstra, Alice Kang, and Miki Kittilson. 2016. "Just the Facts? Media Coverage of Female and Male High Court Appointees in Five Democracies." Politics & Gender 12 (2): 254-74.

Escobar-Lemmon, Valerie Hoekstra, Alice J. Kang, and Miki Kittilson. Forthcoming. "Breaking the Judicial Glass Ceiling: The Appointment of Women to High Courts Worldwide." Journal of Politics.

Elsje, Bonthuys.Gender and Race in South African Judicial Appointment

Masengu, Tabeth. It’s A Man’s World: Barriers to Gender Transformation in the South African Judiciary. Perspectives from Women Advocates and Attorneys (2016) 23, 3 International Journal of the Legal Profession, 305.

Masengu, Tabeth.Standing on the Side-lines clapping; Women and Zambia’s Constitutional Process in Jaap de Visser and Nico Stelyer (eds) Constitution Building in Africa (2015), 48.

Masengu, Tabeth. The Judicial Service Commission and the appointment of Women: more to it than meets the eye’ International Journal of the Legal Profession, May 2019.

Masengu, Tabeth.The Vulnerability of Judges in Contemporary Africa: Alarming Trends (2017) 63, 4 Africa Today, 3.

Masengu, Tabeth.Transformation in the Judiciary’, 8 January 2013.

Masengu, Tabeth.Twenty-Three Years of Gender Transformation in the Constitutional Court of South Africa: Progress or Regression?

Masengu, Tabeth.‘Gender Transformation as a means of enhancing perceptions of impartiality on the bench’ (2016) 133, 3 South African Law Journal, 475.

Masengu, Tabeth.‘A Perspective on Women and Leadership in the South African Judiciary’ (2015) 3 South African Journal of Human Rights, 655.

Masengu, Tabeth.‘Is the appointment of Acting Judges Transparent? De Rebus the SA Attorneys Journal,’ (2015) co-authored with Alison Tilley.

Masengu, Tabeth.‘Courting Controversy: Is judicial activism the only way to tackle gender inequality in Southern Africa?’ OSISA Journal (2012).

Winifred Kamau. Women judges and magistrates in Kenya: Challenges, opportunities and contributions.

Albertyn, Cathi. Bonthuys, Elsje. (2018).South Africa: a Transformative Constitution and a Representative Judiciary. In Dawuni, J., Bauer,G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Andam, Kuukuwa. Dei-Tutu, Sena. (2018). Sophia Akuffo: Balancing the Equities. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Badejogbin, Rebecca. (2018). Elsie Nwanwuri Thompson: The Trajectory of a Noble Passion. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Bauer ,Gretchen .(2018). Gender and the Judiciary in Africa. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._(eds.)- Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York:Routledge

Bauer, Gretchen. Ellet, Rachel. (2018). Botswana: Delayed Indigenization and Feminization of the Judiciary. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). Akua Kuenyehia: Leaving a Mark Along the Journey for Human Rights. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). Challenging Gender Universalism and Unveiling the Silenced Narratives of the African Woman Judge. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018).Gender and the Judiciary in Africa-An Introduction. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Dawuni, Josephine. Kuenyehia, Akua. (2018). International Courts and The African Woman Judge: Unlocking Doors, Leaving a Legacy. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Dawuni, Josephine. (2018). Ghana: The Paradox of Judicial Stagnation. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._(eds.)- Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Dezalay, Sara.(2018). Fatoumata Dembele Diarra: Trajectory of A Malian Magistrate and Civil Society Advocate to the International Criminal Court. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.)-International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Ellet, Rachel. (2018). Justina Kelello Mafoso-Guni: The Gendering of Judicial Appointment Processes in African Courts. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Grossman, Nienke. (2018). Julia Sebutinde: An Unbreakable Cloth. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A. _ (eds.) - International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Hamad, Mahmoud. (2018). Egypt: The Lingering Battle for Female Judgeship. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Ibrahim, Hauwa. (2018). Nigeria: Women Judges Enhancing the Judiciary. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Kamatali, Jean-Marie.(2018). Rwanda: Balancing Gender Quotas and an Independent Judiciary. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._(eds.)- Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Kang, Alice. (2018). Benin: Women Judges Promoting Women’s Rights.In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._(eds.)- Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Klibi, Salsabil. (2018). Tunisia: A New Constitution and More Women Judges. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G._ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge

Mumba, Florence. (2018). Women Judges in International Courts and Tribunals-The Quest for Equal Opportunities: Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. In Dawuni, J., Kuenyehia, A._(eds.)-International Courts and the African Woman Judge: Unveiled Narratives. New York: Routledge

Yoon, Mi Yung. (2018). Tanzania: Women Judges as Agents of Judicial Education. In Dawuni, J., Bauer, G_ (eds.) - Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity? New York: Routledge
Report on Louisiana State Judges 1992-2017_Final Pdf

American Bar Association Diversity Speakers Bureau

Brennan Center for Justice

Cornell University Library Catalog

Diversity of the Federal Bench

Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures

Gender Studies Database Elton B.Stephens Company

Gender Watch

Global Gender Equality Constitutional Database

California State University Long Beach Library

International Rule of Law Directory

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research

News Agency | Journalism & Communication for Global Change

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

Our Work Cornell Center for Women, Justice, Economy, and Technology

Project Muse

The Women Stats Project

United Nations Commission for Europe

Women, Gender & the Law eJournal

Women as Levers of Change

Women’s Power Index

Women’s Studies Archive: Women’s Issues and Identities

Women’s Studies International Forum

World Bank Gender Data

World Bank Women, Business and the Law

World Policy Analysis Center

Bora Laskin Law Library

UN Women Data

African Women Judges: Storytelling as Judicial Freedom

Gender, Judging and the Courts in Africa

Intersectionality and Women’s Access to Justice in Africa

International Courts and the African Woman Judge

Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: From Obscurity to Parity?

Research

Flagship Reports

Leadership Reports

Gender Scorecards

Research Database