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Women Judges Association of Malawi

Lilongwe, Malawi
Joined August 2018

WOJAM’s mission is to advance the rights of and access to justice for vulnerable groups especially women and children through the judicial system through research, awareness raising and training.

Presence in: Malawi
Focus: Community / Customary Land Rights, Criminal Justice, Family, Gender-based violence, Generalist Legal Services, Health, Traditional / Customary Justice, Women's Rights

Women need to get to a position whereby they are able to enjoy their rights in the justice system in terms of fairness, equity and justice. They need to be able to have both procedural access to justice as well as substantive justice. Further, protection of rights must continue through all stages of the legal process, from the time of reporting a crime to the police, to following the grant of a remedy by the court to make certain that it is enforced.

WOJAM’s believe that its role in ensuring access to justice for women can be achieved through the following –

  • its continued work in research on women and the law especially with regards to policies,legislation, systems and processes that continue to hinder their full enjoyment of their rights;
  • sensitization and training of law enforcement officers and judicial officers to the particular needs of women at various stages of the law. ;
  • civic education on the policies and legislation which affect women with an emphasis on women; and
  • intensify legal clinics together with Women Lawyers Association and camp courts with a special focus on women, children and other vulnerable groups.

The judiciary needs to have a proportionate number of female judicial officers. This vision needs to tally with an increase in the number of court buildings through construction of modern court facilities and rehabilitation of existing ones, for a women friendly environment.   Some areas which do not have any court centre near them which constrains women from seeking judicial services as they have to walk long distances or part with money for transport costs.

For WOJAM to ensure more women on the bench, it has to undertake more career talks and role modelling across Malawi so that more girls and women are encouraged to consider the legal and judicial profession.