Judge Ayesha Malik, the first female judge to be nominated for Pakistan’s supreme court. Photo Credit: Handout

Society Pakistan14. January 2022

Gender Equality Win: First Woman Supreme Court Justice Appointed Here

The first female supreme court justice in the history of Pakistan has officially been nominated – and the move has been largely celebrated!

Justice Ayesha Malik first garnered the support of the chief justice of Pakistan, before the appointment moved to the parliamentary panel where the judges voted five to four in her favor.  

Justice Malik has served on the Lahore high court since 2012 where she has been involved in monumental cases, such as when she outlawed virginity tests for female rape survivors, reasoning, in her own words, that “it is a humiliating practice, which is used to cast suspicion on the victim.”

Nighat Dad, a digital rights lawyer, and human rights activist, stated, “Justice Ayesha Malik’s appointment is a historic move for our judicial system as it is not only the first time a woman has a seat in the supreme court since Pakistan’s inception, but it opens up endless possibilities for other women in the legal field.” Further, one of the many advantages of having a woman on the supreme court in a country where gender-based inequality is rampant is that it will likely “have a domino effect on the larger justice system to be more inclusive,” explains Dad.

Source:
The Guardian

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