A regional meeting aimed at strengthening women’s leadership in the judiciary across Asia and the Pacific has taken place in Bangkok, bringing together senior female judges from six countries to discuss progress, challenges and collaboration in shaping gender-responsive justice systems.
The Regional Convening on Women’s Judicial Leadership in Asia-Pacific was held in Thailand, gathering 30 women judges from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand. The two-day programme forms part of the Shift Underway: Promoting Women’s Leadership in the Judiciary in Asia initiative led by UNDP, and was organised under the Global Gender Justice Platform of UNDP and UN Women, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Bangkok convening followed earlier national-level Judicial Leadership Colloquiums in Indonesia and Lao PDR. According to organisers, the event is positioned as a key pillar of the wider initiative to strengthen women’s participation and leadership across judicial institutions in the region. Participants exchanged insights on judicial leadership, women’s advancement, and judicial practices that support inclusive and equitable justice systems.
Sessions opened with a review of the regional landscape and analysis of both achievements and ongoing barriers. Discussions highlighted gradual progress in women’s representation across the judiciary in parts of Asia, paired with persistent institutional and social obstacles that continue to affect recruitment, advancement and leadership pathways.
“Across Asia, women judges have transformed legal systems by bringing new perspectives to jurisprudence, strengthening access to justice, and enhancing public confidence in the rule of law. Yet, as the regional research highlights, many barriers—structural, institutional, and cultural—still limit women’s full participation and advancement within our courts,” remarked Honourable Justice Muntharee Ujjin, President of the Court of Appeal of Thailand.
Recent data from the Global Progress Report on SDG 16 show that women remain underrepresented in senior judicial positions across the region despite some movement in recent years. Delegates noted that while countries are pursuing reforms, gender-balanced recruitment processes remain an ongoing challenge in several jurisdictions.
“In Bangladesh as elsewhere, gender-balanced recruitment faces certain systemic challenges. In the most recent round of appointments to the High Court Division, conducted through an unprecedented process of open application, public announcement, and competitive evaluation, only three women were ultimately elevated out of a total of twenty-five appointees. The pool of women applicants itself was notably small, illustrating how deep structural and societal barriers continue to suppress participation long before the stage of selection,” said Honourable Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
Academic contributions also highlighted the broader justice implications of improving gender representation. Prof. Desierto noted that gender equality in the judiciary extends beyond representation and is closely tied to public confidence and access to justice. Advancing women’s judicial leadership, she said, requires long-term collaboration, an intersectional approach, and solutions tailored to the experiences of women professionals across the region.
Across the convening, participants joined workshops, peer dialogues and country presentations aimed at developing judicial leadership skills and strengthening approaches for gender-responsive justice. Practical exercises addressed institutional barriers, strategies for supporting women judges throughout their careers, and methods of strengthening judicial systems to ensure equal access to legal remedies.
A joint session with the Asian Development Bank explored future priorities for the region. Judges worked together to identify shared goals and actions to continue the momentum, including promoting networking opportunities, enhancing institutional support systems, and increasing data and evidence on effective pathways for women’s judicial leadership. Delegates also discussed national experiences and compared approaches to legal training, appointment processes and leadership development within the judiciary.
Exchanges also highlighted emerging areas of cooperation, including technology, inclusive legal reform, and the development of judicial practices that take into account the needs and experiences of women and marginalised groups. The convening aimed to support long-term collaboration between judicial leaders and international partners working on governance and rule-of-law programmes.
“Through the regional study and a series of judicial leadership colloquiums, we are deepening our understanding of what it takes to advance women’s leadership in the judiciary. The stories of women judges highlight both the progress made and the systemic barriers that remain. UNDP is committed to continuing to work with judiciaries and international partners to strengthen regional networking, facilitate peer exchange, strengthen evidence of effective strategies, and increase data availability on women’s representation in the judicial sector,” said Aparna Basnyat, Programme Advisor on Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights at the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub.
Delegates emphasised the value of connecting across jurisdictions and sharing experiences. As the Thailand delegation commented, “This convening allows women judges from across the region to share knowledge and experiences to reflect on our own journeys through the perspectives of others and to build a network for future collaboration.”
Organisers said the event generated commitments to continued cooperation and peer learning beyond the summit itself. Discussions pointed to the importance of institutional pathways, mentoring networks and supportive policies to advance women’s roles in judicial leadership positions.
As the meeting concluded, speakers highlighted that the initiative is expected to continue building momentum in the coming months, forming a wider network across Asia-Pacific focused on women’s participation in judicial leadership. The convening was framed as a starting point for strengthened cooperation and shared strategies across the region.
