Geneva | March 10, 2025
The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, in collaboration with the Supreme Judicial Council of the State of Qatar, organized a high-level side event to celebrate the "Fourth Anniversary of International Day of Women Judges." The event took place on the sidelines of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, with over 83 participants representing diplomatic missions, international and regional organizations, and civil society groups concerned with women's rights and justice.
The discussion was moderated by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah. The keynote speakers included HE Judge Dr. Hessa Ahmed Al Sulaiti, the senior judge of the Court of Appeals and the first female judge in Qatar, and HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah.
Discussion speakers also included HE Judge Fatima Abdullah Al Mal, First Deputy President of the Court of First Instance and the first female criminal judge in Qatar; HE Judge Mina Sougrati, the President-Elect of the International Association of Women Judges; and Tatiana Veress, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Coordinator of the Global Judicial Integrity Network.
In her opening remarks, HE Dr. Al Muftah stated that this event is in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 75/274, which declared March 10 as International Women's Judges Day, pointing out that the State of Qatar had the honor of taking the initiative to present this historic resolution, which was adopted unanimously on April 28, 2021, with the support of 72 countries.
Her Excellency explained that the resolution emphasized several key principles, the first being that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are essential in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It also stressed the importance of women's active participation in decision-making at all levels to promote equality, development, peace, and democracy. Moreover, the resolution highlighted the importance of developing strategies and plans to improve the status of women in judicial systems and institutions.
HE Dr. Al Muftah noted that celebrating this day provides an important opportunity to highlight the valuable contributions women make in judicial fields worldwide and to celebrate and encourage these achievements.
HE Qatar's Permanent Representative of to the UN Office in Geneva further emphasized that women's representation in the justice system, and particularly in the judiciary, is crucial and has multiple dimensions. By enhancing women's participation in the judiciary and investing in empowering female judges, trust in the justice system can be strengthened. This also serves justice more effectively by drawing on women's knowledge, experiences, and perspectives to make more informed, realistic, and unbiased decisions. Additionally, it improves women's access to justice and supports their specific needs.
Despite the fact that girls enter law schools at the same rates as boys, HE Dr. Al Muftah pointed out that the situation changes after graduation, with women often facing barriers to entering the judiciary, noting that the representation of women as judges remains significantly lower than that of men.
On a global level, Her Excellency noted that there is no consistent data collection on women in the justice sector. She underscored that while significant progress has been made in many countries and positive models exist, there are still substantial barriers that hinder full participation of women in the judicial field. She explained that these barriers include societal biases, cultural attitudes, lack of support and mentorship networks, and the concentration of female judges in specific courts, such as juvenile or family courts, as well as limited promotion opportunities, which restrict their access to higher courts and leadership positions within the judiciary.
HE Dr. Al Muftah highlighted a range of measures at both the national and international levels to enhance women's participation in the judiciary, including developing methodologies for collecting statistics and data on women's involvement in the justice sector, supporting political will to achieve equality in this field, and reforming laws to facilitate women's entry and advancement in the judiciary.
She stressed the importance of ensuring equal access to educational opportunities, creating legal networks to support female legal professionals, and reforming admission and appointment procedures in the judiciary to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based decisions. Additionally, she emphasized the need to raise public awareness about the importance of equitable female representation in the judiciary.
For her part, HE Judge Dr. Hessa Ahmed Al Sulaiti, a senior judge at the Court of Appeals and the first female judge in Qatar, highlighted the progress Qatar has made in empowering women within the judiciary. She noted that women currently represent 13 percent of judges in Qatar, with plans to increase this figure to 30 percent by 2030, adding that women constitute 46.8 percent of judicial administration roles and hold approximately 51 percent of leadership positions within the judiciary's administrative ranks.
She also noted that Qatari female judges hold critical and specialized positions, such as in the prosecution of major criminal cases and the resolution of disputes related to foreign investment and international trade, demonstrating that there is no discrimination in the distribution of judicial responsibilities.
Her Excellency attributed Qatar's success in empowering Qatari women to the country's societal and religious values, which have been the driving force behind enabling women to achieve their aspirations without limits. She shared that her own entry into the judiciary in 2010 was supported directly by HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and she emphasized that her colleagues, including judges and senior officials, have provided a supportive environment that has helped her succeed in this field.
For her part, HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, reaffirmed the State of Qatar's commitment to strengthening the role of women in the judiciary, adding that any progress made in this domain was the result of significant efforts in reconsidering women-related laws, which led to the annulment, amendment, and enactment of laws aimed at enhancing women's status and removing barriers to their empowerment and advancement.
Her Excellency said that the State of Qatar ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2009, which helped open the door for women to hold leadership positions, including joining the judiciary, with Qatar appointing its first woman judge in 2010, a pioneering step that paved the way for women in the judicial field.
Al Attiyah stressed the importance of integrating women into the judicial system, pointing to the social and cultural challenges that faced Qatari women judges due to the judiciary being traditionally seen as a male-dominated field.
HE Chairperson of NHRC added that Qatari women judges, however, have proven themselves and helped to change this traditional perception, raising social acceptance of women in judicial positions, which in turn led the Supreme Judicial Council to set the goal of raising women's representation in the judiciary to 30 percent by 2030, reflecting this ongoing progress.
Her Excellency commended women judges' active role in achieving justice and promoting the rule of law, noting that their diverse backgrounds and life experiences contribute to a deeper understanding of legal issues, particularly those concerning vulnerable groups such as children, workers, and persons with disabilities. She further emphasized that the judiciary is not merely about the strict application of the law, but also about achieving justice through a balanced humanistic perspective. In conclusion, Al Attiyah called for enhanced international cooperation to support and empower women judges in their role in building fairer and more just societies for all.
HE First Vice President of the Primary Court, Judge Fatima Abdullah Al Mal, who is also the State of Qatar's first woman, criminal judge, said that her entry into the judiciary was supported by Qatar's Permanent Constitution, the leadership and society's will, in addition to Qatari women's aspirations to ascend to leading roles. Her Excellency pointed out that Qatari women have proven their competence in various fields, from ministries to aviation and engineering, adding that they chose to break the stereotype that confined women judges to family law and civil disputes, opting to work in the criminal field, which requires handling complex cases that demand strict rulings based on law and justice.
HE Judge Al Mal focused on the psychological challenges she faces in her work, noting that criminal law requires dealing with cases that have deep psychological and emotional impacts. Nevertheless, she said that she considers her role as an ethical and professional responsibility to achieve justice, drawing strength from the joy in the eyes of those who have received their rights.
Her Excellency also said that her chairing one of Qatar's major departments dealing with criminality is thanks to the trust granted to her by Qatar's wise leadership and judiciary. She said that the case resolution rate in her department has reached 89 percent annually over the past three years.
Meanwhile, HE President-Elect of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), Judge Mina Sougrati, focused on the importance of enhancing women's roles in the judiciary, stressing the need for equality and justice in the judicial system. Her Excellency emphasized that the representation of women in judicial positions strengthens public trust in the judicial system and ensures that the needs and aspirations of all societal groups are addressed.
She also highlighted regional and international efforts to support women judges and providing them with suitable working environments, for them to have a more effective participation in the judiciary.
Judge Sougrati recalled the State of Qatar's initiative, which led the United Nations General Assembly to adopt a resolution in April 2021 to designate March 10 as the International Day of Women Judges.
Her Excellency also addressed the challenges faced by women judges in judicial institutions, pointing out the need for practical steps to overcome these obstacles and ensure that they fully enjoy their professional rights. She discussed the importance of international laws and regulations in strengthening the role of women in the judiciary, calling for adherence to international standards to ensure equal opportunities.
For her part, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Global Judicial Integrity Network coordinator, Tatiana Veress, expressed her gratitude to Qatar for organizing this event and for its efforts in establishing the International Day of Women Judges.
She stressed the importance of strengthening women's roles in the judiciary and eliminating the barriers hindering women's access to justice, such as discrimination, stereotypes, and bias. Veress emphasized the importance of judicial integrity as a key pillar to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.
She also discussed the efforts made by the Global Judicial Integrity Network since its establishment in 2018, which has created opportunities for exchanging experiences and best practices among judicial bodies around the world through international and regional meetings, training programs, and knowledge resources.
Veress provided recommendations for creating a supportive environment for women judges within judicial systems, including boosting mentorship initiatives, investing in continuous training for judges to raise their awareness of ethical issues and unconscious biases, and putting forward institutional reforms to ensure an inclusive judicial environment that maintains integrity and accountability.
She concluded her speech by affirming that empowering women in the judiciary boosts public trust in the judicial system and contributes to achieving equality and sustainable development. Veress also called on all judicial bodies to benefit from the best practices gathered by the Global Judicial Integrity Network to create real and lasting changes in the judiciary.
This event was held in celebration of the 4th anniversary of International Day of Women Judges, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in a historic resolution (A/RES/75/274) initiated by Qatar to enhance the presence of women in the judicial field.