Meet Justice Ayesha Malik, Pakistan's first female Supreme Court judge

"As the first woman judge appointed to the apex court in the country's judicial history, this is an important step towards improving gender diversity in the judiciary, where women reportedly account for only 17 percent of judges overall and just under 4.4 percent in the high courts.”

— The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

January 28, 2022

The gist:

Even though “some lawyers and judges had voiced their opposition to her appointment accusing her of cutting ahead of more senior male candidates, and the “Pakistan Bar Council even said it would strike,” Justice Ayesha Malik was confirmed to Supreme Court of Pakistan, which “is the only South Asian nation to have never had a female Supreme Court judge.”

She developed “a reputation for integrity and discipline on the lower court, where she helped deliver several landmark verdicts on major constitutional issues.”

• In 2021, for example, the court outlawed the invasive and medically-discredited virginity test performed on women who reported rape or sexual assault, with Malik writing in the 30-page opinion that the practice "offends the dignity of the female victim" and discriminates on the basis of gender.

Supporters say her groundbreaking role bodes well for women on both sides of the bench.

"She has broken all barriers in the judicial system and it will allow other women in the system to move forward, Ihope this will lead to more women-centric decisions by the judiciary in the future."

—lLwyer and women's rights activist Khadija Siddiqi

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