Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on female judges to identify obstacles that hinder women advancement, strategise and collaborate on how to overcome them.
The governor also urged them to carve out a future where women in the legal profession would stand on equal footing with their male counterparts.
He gave the charge, yesterday, during the first South-West zonal workshop of the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN) held in Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme, “Breaking Leadership Barriers for Women in Legal Profession.”
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, expressed joy that Nigerian women judges are competing favourably and effectively with their counterparts globally in the dispensation of their sacred duties as members of the Hallowed Inner Bar.
The governor, while celebrating the women judges, particularly in the South-West of Nigeria, also commended Justice of the Supreme Court, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for sustaining the platform for women judges to confer and build structure that would sustain the legal instrument of the state and the country.
“Your dedication and commitment to advancing women leadership in the legal profession are truly commendable and I am confident that this conference will provide robust solutions and forge new and workable strategies to bring about lasting and tangible change that you have constantly desired and would live forever in our lives,” he said.
Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, celebrated the judges and welcomed them to Lagos. Alogba, who said that women had strategically dominated the legal profession in Nigeria, applauded them for their doggedness and relentless in discharging their duties.
He said that the female gender were becoming more successful in the profession as more graduated with distinction at the recent Nigerian Law School graduation in Abuja.
Earlier, Kekere-Ekun, who is the President of NAWJN, in her opening address, stated that there is much work to be done notwithstanding that the country has come a long way in terms of women achieving leadership positions in the legal profession.
She noted that there are still many challenges inhibiting women from reaching the zenith of their careers, which she listed to include domestic impediments, difficulty in maintaining a work/life balance, lack of support in the home, working conditions that are not favourable to women, such as frequent postings of women with young families, gender bias belief that certain positions are more suited to the male gender, lack of mentorship programmes, among others.
She said that women had been exceptionally blessed by God with innate skills and the ability to multi-task, which could enhance and support nation-building.
