Women and the Judiciary in the Asia-Pacific

Melissa Crouch (edited volume, Cambridge University Press)

The judiciary is an important institution in efforts to overcome and address issues of inequality, discrimination and gender injustice for women. The feminisation of the judiciary – both in its simple meaning of entrance into the profession as well as its more substantive forms of realising gender justice – is a core part of the gender equality agenda. Acknowledging both the diversity of meanings of the feminisation of the judiciary as well as the complexity of its social and cultural realisation, this volume enhances the literature on women and the courts from the perspective of the Asia-Pacific. Containing the first-ever empirical studies for many of the jurisdictions covered, this book offers deeply grounded research of the past and present challenges women face to entering the judiciary and progressing their career, as well as advocating for women’s issues. From individual stories of trailblazing women to sector-wide studies of changes in gender composition of the judiciary over time, the original empirical research in this book offers a timely reflection on the feminisation of the judiciary in the Global South more broadly.