Only 18% of international judges are women? Let's get GQUAL
Presently, only 18.1% of judges sitting on International Tribunals are women. Within the United Nations Treaty Bodies, several Committees have less than 30% of female representation; among them the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR, 27%), the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED, 10%) and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 6%).
The GQUAL Conference will convene at The Hague Institute for Global Justice, hosting Vice-Presidents, high level representatives of States, members of international tribunals and organizations, international law and gender experts, academics, and activists from all over the world to build on their relevant work over the past two years. Participants will discuss the multiple angles that influence the representation of women and possible avenues for improvement at a national and international level.
The goal of the Conference will be to approve an Action Plan that will further build upon the campaign’s three main strategies, highlighted in the GQUAL Declaration. This document has been signed by more than 1,500 people, ranging from Presidents to Human Rights Activists working in international justice from more than 90 countries.
Through the Action Plan, it is expected that participants will be able to move forward and build concrete policies, proposals and calls to action; which states, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders can take on to improve the representation of women across international bodies.
The Opening Ceremony will take place at The Peace Palace on October 3 and will be livestreamed starting at 5:00 PM CET here.
