Women still get raw deal in judiciary

A report released by the Commission for Gender Equality calls for the breaking down of what it believes are barriers to the progress of women in the judiciary.

By Roxanne Henderson

8 Dec 2016

Commission chairman Mfanozelwe Shozi said those responsible for the legal profession's transformation had "dropped the ball".

The commission said the pace of transformation in the judiciary was slow, but the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services, and the Judicial Service Commission had all attempted to pass the buck when asked to account for this.

The commission said that although most law graduates were women, this was not reflected in the composition of the judiciary.

A survey by the Law Society of SA found that "the social and family responsibilities carried by women" held them back. It suggested "flexible working hours, home offices and child-care facilities at work" for women.

The society said that in July 2014, 37% of practising attorneys were women - a 5% increase in five years.

Source: The Times