Gender, Culture and Children Services Cabinet Secretary Hanna Wendot Cheptumo says Kenya has made major progress in increasing women’s representation in the judiciary, but more needs to be done to tackle workplace barriers and inequalities in the justice sector.
Cheptumo spoke during a high-level forum on women’s representation in the judiciary hosted by Portugal, where she represented Kenya alongside Chief Justice Martha Koome.
She noted that the 2010 Constitution has provided strong legal and institutional frameworks enabling merit-based and transparent appointments. According to Cheptumo, these reforms have helped dismantle long-standing stereotypes and opened opportunities for women to excel in judicial leadership.
“Kenya’s Judiciary stands as a strong example of inclusive leadership. Women currently serve as Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice, and Attorney General, and hold key leadership roles across courts and registries. Women make up 43% of judges, are the majority at the Magistracy level, and slightly outnumber men among judicial staff, clear evidence of steady progress toward parity,” she said.
However, Cheptumo cautioned that increasing the number of women in leadership positions alone does not fully address gender disparities within the justice sector. She called for deliberate measures, including gender-sensitive recruitment, mentorship programmes for aspiring female judges and lawyers, continuous training on gender issues, and sustained monitoring of progress toward equality.
“Women justice professionals continue to face workplace inequities, cultural biases, and structural barriers. Addressing these challenges requires deliberate action. Member states must collaborate to advance women’s representation in justice systems,” Cheptumo said.
She reiterated Kenya’s commitment to championing women’s rights, strengthening gender-responsive legislation, and building justice institutions that are inclusive, fair, and representative.
“I call on all Member States to continue working together to advance equal representation of women in the judiciary for the benefit of justice, democracy, and society as a whole,” she added.
The conference, organised jointly by the Kenyan government, the Portuguese government, and the Portuguese Platform on Women’s Rights, provided a platform to share strategies for increasing women’s leadership in the judiciary.
