Every year on March 10, the international community celebrates the International Day of Women Judges, established by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/75/274. This day recognizes the role of women in the judiciary, promotes their equal and effective participation in the justice system, and supports gender equality in the administration of justice.
According to reports from the United Nations and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the average percentage of women judges globally is approximately 30-35%, with significant regional variations: Europe leads with an average of 54%, followed by the Americas at 51%, while the percentage drops to between 29-31% in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
However, representation in senior leadership positions (such as presidents of supreme courts or constitutional courts) remains considerably lower, declining significantly with career advancement. This reflects persistent structural and cultural obstacles that hinder full gender parity.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that in the Arab region, women’s participation in the judiciary remains relatively limited compared to advanced global rates. In most Arab countries, the percentage ranges between approximately 10% and 30%, with a sharp decline in senior positions. In some countries, it does not exceed 1% or less in the Supreme Courts.
However, some countries have witnessed significant progress in recent years through their appointment and training policies.
In Syria, the percentage of female judges rose to approximately 30% of the total judiciary by 2017 (compared to 15% before the revolution). This increase is also reflected in the growing number of trainees at the Higher Judicial Institute, where women constituted a majority in some recent cohorts (such as 28 out of 49 trainees in one cohort).
Despite this relative progress, representation in leadership positions and the Supreme Courts remains limited, and the challenges have been exacerbated by the war and institutional disintegration.
The Syrian Future Movement, a national civil political entity that emerged from the Syrian revolution of 2012 and strives for a just civil state based on freedom, equal citizenship, and social justice, sees this day as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of empowering Syrian women in the judiciary as a fundamental element of its national vision. While we recognize the necessity of empowering Syrian women freely within a moderate and realistic framework, increasing the representation of female judges enhances the integrity of rulings and improves the handling of gender issues, domestic violence, and violations against women during the years of war.
In light of the current transitional phase in Syria, following decades of tyranny, war, and regional interventions, the Syrian Future Movement believes that rebuilding an independent, impartial, and comprehensive judiciary is a cornerstone for achieving transitional justice, restoring public trust, and strengthening civil peace.
This cannot be achieved without broad and effective participation of women in the judiciary to ensure that the justice system reflects the diversity of Syrian society and meets the needs of all its components without discrimination.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on this day for:
- A radical and comprehensive reform of the judicial system during the transitional phase, guaranteeing its complete independence from any political, sectarian, or regional influences.
- The development of clear and institutional plans for training and appointing qualified Syrian female judges, ensuring equal opportunities, protection from discrimination, and raising their representation in leadership positions to fair levels.
- Cooperation with international organizations and the United Nations (including UN Women and UNODC) to support judicial capacity building and exchange expertise in promoting women’s participation.
- Confronting the challenges of the ongoing regional war and foreign interventions by strengthening national unity and rejecting any attempts to impose judicial models that contradict the inclusive Syrian identity and civic values.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the Syria of the future we are working towards is a Syria where women are full partners in building justice and peace, and where the Syrian female judge is a symbol of competence, integrity, and equality, contributing to restoring trust and rebuilding the state on modern and just foundations.
