Political Trends: Article Summaries Social Sciences Essay (Essay Sample)

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Political Trends: Article Summaries
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Dawuni and Kang explore the conundrum of rise of female judicial leaders in some African countries and not others, and the factors that could explain this phenomenon in the article “Her Ladyship Chief Justice: The Rise of Female Leaders in the Judiciary in Africa.” The authors compare several African countries to determine the possible reasons for the increased presence of female judicial leaders. The authors found that in the period between 1990 to 2014, countries with women in the judiciary were Burundi, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, and Senegal. Female judicial leaders in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Benin, and Niger all met or exceeded the required qualifications for their respective positions, which Dawuni and Kang interpret as proof that women do not rely on preferential treatment to get into office (50). They posit that a country’s recent history, its constitutional requirements, geographical location, leadership ideology, and selection methods for high judicial office are factors that contribute to more women as leaders in the judiciary in specific countries.
Countries that use civil-law legal systems have higher female representation in senior judicial positions because they fast-track the entry of women into judgeship roles. Common-law countries select judges based on the size of their legal practice and professional experience, which limits women’s advancement into these positions (Dawuni and Kang 56). The authors also suggest that the difference between fused and split legal professions in a country may restrict women to becoming solicitors instead of advocates, which prevents them from joining the judiciary, because judges are chosen from the ranks of advocates who are more likely to be men.