The recent appointment of judicial officers in Gombe State has sparked concerns over gender disparity in the judiciary.
A female lawyer and activist in the state, Barrister Martha Daniel, raised the observation in a conversation with our correspondent.
She highlighted that among the five magistrate judges and 46 area court judges inaugurated, not a single woman made the list.
This lack of representation has prompted calls for greater inclusion of women in leadership positions within the justice system.
Daniel emphasised the need for women to take on leadership roles to bridge the gender gap in justice administration stressing that women should not be relegated to the background and urged them to rise up and seize opportunities.
Her comments came as the Gombe State governor, Inuwa Yahaya has sworn in new judges to address manpower gaps in the judiciary.
The governor emphasised the importance of a strong and independent judiciary in ensuring effective administration of justice.
LEADERSHIP observes that the issue of gender disparity in the judiciary is wide spread in the nation and addressing this disparity will require concerted efforts from stakeholders, including the government, judicial service commission and civil society organisations.
But the state governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the judiciary, ensuring its autonomy, and providing a conducive environment for judicial activities.
He reiterated this in his goodwill message at the 2024/2025 Legal Year Ceremony, recently where he commended the judiciary for its professionalism, integrity, and dedication to justice.
The governor also highlighted his administration’s efforts to address challenges in the judiciary, including staff shortages, and plans to modernise the judiciary through digital transformation.
Amid those pledges by the governor, the female lawyer submitted that women’s participation in leadership in northern Nigeria has been a long standing issue adding that to motivate women and break harmful societal norms impeding their significant participation, various programmes and projects should be put in place to build the capacity of women.
“In conclusion I am calling on all women particularly those within the justice system to be more rise up to the occasion in order to breach the gender gap in the justice administration in Gombe State”, she suggested.
