Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo has assured women in the legal profession that she will work to ensure equality in the judiciary.
Speaking at the launch of the Gender Equality in Law Campaign by the Institute for African Women in Law, the Chief Justice indicated that in playing her role in promoting equality, she will create the right atmosphere to enable females in the legal profession to thrive.
“For the almost 20 years before I joined the Judiciary, between 1987 and 2004, I almost resolved every year to stop private legal practice because of inefficiency in justice delivery and that is why anyone can see that I am so intense about ensuring efficiency in justice delivery.
“So young women, take it from me, I’ve been pregnant and going to court. I have had babies that needed to get to their creches before going to court, and I’m going to do everything I can to make your work easier,” she noted.
The Chief Justice lamented that women in the legal profession face undue challenges by virtue of their gender.
“It must be recognized that women in law and leadership continue to face unnecessary and daunting challenges on account of their gender. Gender bias, toxic approaches to competition in the social and workspace often cause women to recoil from striving.
Negative comments and stereotypes can take a toll on mental health and self-esteem. Deliberate distortion of altruistic intentions when a leader proposes change can all affect the desire to persist in putting out our best.
Nevertheless, we must remain steadfast in the commitment to law and justice, undeterred by external pressures,” she urged.
“The inescapable reality is that the current workplace, particularly in the context of the Judiciary, was primarily conceived and constructed without an awareness of the needs of working women. It is therefore incumbent upon women leaders to shape working spaces to better reflect the diverse needs of both genders,” the Chief Justice assured.
Gertrude Torkornoo called for strong policies and strategies which would help women in the field and promote equality.
“Robust strategies must be formulated for resilience that allow the female presence to endure and give of its best to the judicial system and the legal profession,” she added.
