Article
To-mother-or-not-to-mother-the-representative-roles-of-women-judges-in-ghana-div.pdf
Journal of African Law
(2016)
Abstract
Feminist scholars have debated questions of gender and judging by focusing on variables
such as representation, difference, diversity and legitimacy. While illuminating,
most of these studies are by scholars in the global north. More research is needed to
understand issues of gender and judging in the global south. This article adds to
existing literature by asking whether women judges promote women’s rights.
Through in-depth interviews with women judges in Ghana, the article demonstrates
that women judges do promote women’s rights. The article presents a new method
of analysis: exploring the dichotomy between direct and indirect modes of representing
women’s rights. Recognizing the importance of substantive representation
and the contributions of female judges in promoting women’s rights, it argues
that female judges are not a sufficient condition for promoting women’s rights.
Necessary conditions include laws guaranteeing women’s rights, working partnerships
with women’s civil society organizations and an enabling socio-cultural
climate.
Keywords
- Female judges,
- Ghana,
- judiciary,
- representation,
- women’s rights
Disciplines
Publication Date
January, 2016
DOI
doi:10.1017/S0021855316000115
Citation Information
Josephine Jarpa Dawuni. "To-mother-or-not-to-mother-the-representative-roles-of-women-judges-in-ghana-div.pdf" Journal of African Law Vol. 60 Iss. 3 (2016) p. 419 - 440 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/josephine-dawuni/1/
Creative Commons license
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY International License.