Courts should reflect the communities they serve because they need to function as their actual daily operations prove. The International Day of Women Judges which the world observes every year on March 10 exists to fulfill its promise. The United Nations General Assembly established the day to demonstrate how women judges contribute to the judiciary while advocating for their equal rights to serve in all judicial positions.
The UN resolution which started in 2021 gained worldwide support after the first celebration of the day in 2022. International organizations and judicial networks have designated March 10 as their annual celebration to showcase their accomplishments while highlighting ongoing deficiencies and advancing practical improvements through their mentorship and leadership development programs and their initiatives to enhance gender responsiveness in court systems.
This year’s observance centers on how women judges protect access to justice both on the bench and beyond a theme underlining that representation isn’t merely symbolic. The International Association of Women Judges has framed 2026 discussions around the idea that women on the bench can improve the legitimacy, fairness and accessibility of courts, particularly for people who have historically felt excluded from legal systems. International Association of Women Judges.
In the Asia-Pacific region, a new partnership between the Asian Development Bank and UNDP aims to strengthen women’s judicial leadership through networks, training and regional cooperation a practical push to convert statements of principle into institutional capacity. Advocates say networks like these can help women judges share leadership strategies and resist backsliding on gender equality.
Yet progress is uneven. Senior jurists and observers keep pointing to stubborn underrepresentation in senior courts. In India, for example, the country’s chief justice Surya Kant recently acknowledged that gender balance in the judiciary remains “unfinished business, the statement shows that women hold only a minor share of top judicial positions while showing the need for immediate improvements in recruitment and advancement methods. Why does this matter beyond fairness? Research and experience show that women judge often bring different perspectives to issues such as family law, gender-based violence, administrative fairness and corruption.
The public gains more trust in courts when judges make their courtroom proceedings accessible to all parties while their decisions benefit from diverse experiences that judges bring to their work. The Global Judicial Integrity Network has explicitly linked women’s representation with judicial legitimacy and anti-corruption goals.
Countries need to develop specific national plans that focus on recruiting and retaining women for judicial positions while creating programs for their professional advancement. The judicial appointment process needs to operate with complete transparency while taking active steps to identify and overcome any existing biases. Women judges require access to professional development programs and peer networking opportunities which will enable them to achieve success in leadership positions. The international partnerships together with the regional programs that started this week will lead to faster progress when they combine with local government backing.
The International Day of Women Judges brings a message that both celebrates and demands its execution. The legal system requires acknowledgment of women whose contributions have changed courtrooms and legal practices. The necessary structural changes must proceed to establish their presence as a standard practice instead of an unusual occurrence. The judicial system requires increased female representation in positions of power to achieve its goal of delivering justice to all members of society.