According to the African Womens Development and Communications Network FEMNET while women constitute an average of 40 percent of judges across the continent their representation declines at the higher levels of power where the most consequential decisions are made

Under the theme Women Leading in Shaping Justice Across Generations women leaders from different sectors of the legal and justice field recently gathered in Nairobi Kenya for a conference co hosted by FEMNET and Co Impact The platform encouraged collective problem solving and movement building allowing participants to reflect on and suggest solutions to systemic barriers such as patriarchal laws institutional sexism and new challenges in the digital age that continue to limit womens leadership in Africa

Across generations African women have continued to show resilience As The Reporter Ethiopia noted at the heart of this exchange is a call for structured mentorship and coaching recognizing that continuity of leadership in justice can only be ensured when knowledge is intentionally transferred

The GC Africa Programme HRDA was represented by Dr Michelle Maziwisa programme manager together with two alumnae from different generations who are dedicated to advancing womens rights and gender justice

Awa Gai 2023 cohort a feminist lawyer from The Gambia carried out extensive research during her masters programme on advancing womens access to justice through transitional justice mechanisms Her work earned third place in the Deans Essay Competition at the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria After completing the HRDA she worked as a Professional Assistant at the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights joined the Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and returned to The Gambia to support government efforts on transitional justice for women She is now a fellow at the Clooney Foundation for Justice Reflecting on her journey she shared Pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights has profoundly enriched my career as a feminist human rights lawyer This programme has provided me with the critical knowledge and platform to advance my advocacy for systemic change in the pursuit of justice and equality

Henrietta Ekefre 2015 cohort an international lawyer and policy advocate with more than ten years of experience advising African human rights bodies also served as a fellow at the Clooney Foundation for Justice Through mobile legal clinics she assisted women dealing with forced eviction marital disputes and financial abuse reaching more than 1200 women and girls Her current focus is on reparations for historical injustices including apartheid colonialism and transatlantic enslavement In July 2025 she co authored and launched a background paper Creating Feminist Perspectives and Pathways for Justice at the African Unions Gender Is My Agenda Campaign GIMAC in Malabo Equatorial Guinea in line with the AU theme for 2025 Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations

The accomplishments of Awa Gai and Henrietta Ekefre highlight the lasting impact of GC Africa alumnae in advancing gender justice and leadership in law across the continent Their efforts reflect the programmes continuing role in strengthening human rights and democratisation in Africa

Source: https://www.gchumanrights.org/gc-news/gender-leadership-in-law-africa-alumnae/