Comfort Ibrahim, Kano
Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi has said women in Kano are taking the centre stage in the legal Profession, noting that, of the 119 counsels in the state Ministry of Justice, 60 percent are women while they also predominate at the margistrate court.
According to him, women in the legal profession in the state are given the opportunity to grow to their full potentialities especially in the Ministry of Justice where they have risen through the ranks to head various departments of the ministry and many have moved from the Ministry to the bench.
The Commissioner made this known while delivering his keynote address at the Northwest zonal workshop of the National Association of Women Judges in Nigeria (NAWJN), which has the theme, ‘Breaking Leadership Barriers for Women in the Legal Profession,’ held in Kano.
The Commissioner said, “today out of the 119 state counsels, 63 or 60% are women. Also women have risen through the ranks to head various departments of the ministry and many have moved from the Ministry to the bench to serve in various capacities.
“Currently of the six departments in the ministry, three are headed by women including the most sensitive department of public prosecution.
“Of the 17 high court judges in the state, almost 50 percent are women, while as mention by the chief Judge of the state, of the 9 additional Judges to be appointed at the Supreme Court after been cleared by the NJC, five are women.
“Equally of the magistrate courts of the state, women are predominant. It is worthy of note that for the first time in the history of Kano, the present head of our Judiciary is is a woman – this is an effort by the present administration to break Leadership barrier for women in the Judiciary. She is know for her dedication, ambition and dispensing justice without fear or favour.
“Interestedly the secretary of the Kano State Judicial service Commission is a woman.
“Sometimes by way of some reflex feeling, I become jittery thinking that sooner or later, the women will take over the legal Profession,” he noted.
The Commissioner also charged members of the Association to encourage young women to take up career in the legal profession and also mentor female staff as well as enhance their professional development.
Earlier in her opening address, the Chief Judge of Kano, Hon. Justice Dije Aboki, tasked participants to actively contribute to dismantling barriers that will impede their ascent to Leadership roles such as strict adherence to culture.
She however applauded the present situation where women are given notable position in the Judiciary, noting that it signifies the persistent efforts to break down barriers limiting women’s leadership roles.
“The current proportion of women judges in Nigeria stands at 32 percent, a noteworthy achievement. This positive trend extends to the realm of judicial officials and heads of courts, where the presence of capable women has been encouraging.
“Analysing statistics, it becomes evident that within the Judiciary, women are approaching the 35 percent of the affirmative action target more closely than other branches of government.
“Despite the strides made, there are regions, where the representation of women Judges remain limited. Cultural and religious factors continue to present challenges, reflecting the need for a more comprehensive and sustained effort to dismantle these barriers,” she added.
