In Bogotá, Colombia on February 20, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), Los Andes University’ Faculty of Law, and Socio-Legal Research Centre (CIJUS for its acronym in Spanish), hosted a seminar centered on the theme of ‘Women in the Judiciary’ to discuss the role, importance, and challenges women face in the legal profession, with a special focus on the Judiciary. The panel discussion was moderated by ABA ROLI’s Vice Board Chair, the Honorable (Hon.) M. Margaret McKeown, Senior Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with the participation of Natalia Ángel, Magistrate of the Colombian Constitutional Court; Ana María Muñoz; Magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice; Gloria Stella López, Magistrate of the Superior Council of Justice; and Alejandro Linares, Magistrate of the Colombian Constitutional Court, as panelists.
Following the insightful questions raised by Hon. McKeown, the Colombian magistrates discussed the role and common challenges that women face pursuing leadership positions in the legal profession, the impact of their work, and shared advice for women lawyers who aspire to achieve a high-level position in the judicial system. According to the magistrates, the role of women in the judiciary has been significant, particularly in decision-making positions. Women have the ability to bring a different perspective and diverse reasoning to the bench, a powerful capacity which can shift gender stereotypes, thereby changing attitudes and perceptions about traditionally accepted gender roles between men and women. Furthermore, the magistrates agreed that the full participation of women in the judiciary also plays a significant role in promoting gender equality in broader cases pertaining to the recognition and protection of women’s equality, gender-based violence, family law, and labor rights, among others. The panelists highlighted the importance of promoting women’s participation in decision-making positions in the judiciary system to enable a better response to diverse social and individual contexts and experiences.
“It is difficult, but not impossible, all women lawyers should be encouraged to pursue their dreams and play a fundamental role in the judiciary.” - Natalia Ángel, Magistrate of Colombian Constitutional Court
Regarding the challenges, the magistrates agreed that a longstanding obstacle to equal opportunity is how female attorneys often do not receive the same presumption of competence, assertiveness, or commitment as their male counterparts. In Colombia, the legal profession has traditionally been a practice made for men, perpetuating a gender bias and antiquated beliefs about gender roles. Some barriers have been coming down progressively and women have been moving up gradually, however, women remain underrepresented at the highest-level positions of the judiciary system and overrepresented at the lowest.