Justice Ayesha Malik. Source: Lahore High Court
This week the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, the highest body recommending judicial appointments, will consider the nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik to the Supreme Court. If confirmed, she would become the first woman appointed to the court.
Pakistan is the only nation in South Asia to have never had a female Supreme Court judge, a reflection of the country’s broader failure to address gender inequality in the legal profession, and society in general. Research has found that only about 4 percent of Pakistan’s High Court judges are women. Of the 3,005 Pakistani judges in the lower and higher courts, only 519 – or 17 percent – are women.
Pakistan May Have its First Woman Supreme Court Justice | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
