ABSTRACT

A sequel to Bauer and Dawuni's pioneering study on gender and the judiciary in Africa (Routledge, 2016), International Courts and the African Woman Judge examines questions on gender diversity, representative benches, and international courts by focusing on women judges from the continent of Africa.

Drawing from postcolonial feminism, feminist institutionalism, feminist legal theory, and legal narratives, this book provides fresh and detailed narratives of seven women judges that challenge existing discourse on gender diversity in international courts. It answers important questions about how the politics of judicial appointments, gender, geographic location, class, and professional capital combine to shape the lives of women judges who sit on international courts and argues the need to disaggregate gender diversity with a view to understanding intra-group differences.

International Courts and the African Woman Judge will be of interest to a variety of audiences including governments, policy makers, civil society organizations, students of gender studies, and feminist activists interested in all questions of gender and judging.

chapter 1|27 pages

Introduction

Challenging Gender Universalism and Unveiling the Silenced Narratives of the African Woman Judge

chapter 2|9 pages

Women Judges in International Courts and Tribunals

The Quest for Equal Opportunities

chapter 3|21 pages

Julia Sebutinde

An Unbreakable Cloth

chapter 4|19 pages

Akua Kuenyehia

Leaving a Mark Along the Journey for Human Rights

chapter 5|21 pages

Fatoumata Dembélé Diarra

Trajectory of a Malian Magistrate and Civil Society Advocate to the International Criminal Court

chapter 6|10 pages

Sophia Akuffo

Balancing the Equities

chapter 7|16 pages

Justina Kelello Mafoso-Guni

The Gendering of Judicial Appointment Processes in African Courts

chapter 8|18 pages

Elsie Nwanwuri Thompson

The Trajectory of a Noble Passion

chapter 9|19 pages

Conclusion

International Courts and the African Woman Judge—Unlocking Doors, Leaving a Legacy