The Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood on Friday called for women judges to be actively encouraged and supported to function effectively.

She also called for women in justice administration to be assisted to achieve their leadership roles in their sphere of influence.

Mrs Justice Georgina Wood was speaking at the opening of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Global Leadership of Women (GLOW) West Africa Regional Conference in Accra.

The two-day seminar being hosted by the Ghana Chapter of the IAWJ is being attended by women judges from Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon and the United States.

Mrs Justice Wood underscored the need for judicial diversity because it is critical for the strengthening of the rule of law, which helps to promote equality, fairness and justice and engenders institutional trust and confidence.

She said the deployment of women judges are not intended for championing partiality but to ensure equity, fairness and justice, which in turn should enhance national growth and development.

Mrs Justice Wood stated that there are potentials and opportunities to be tapped under the GLOW initiative especially from women judges on the international courts and tribunals to enhance the body of jurisprudence on violence against women developed by these courts.

“The plain purpose is for domestic courts in West Africa and Asia to tap into jurisprudential wisdom and experiences of these international tribunals as regards this area of the law for our benefit,” she said.

Mrs Justice Wood said women and children are the persons most affected by war, crimes, human right violations particularly violence in the domestic setting, which has reached endemic proportions in Ghana and worldwide.

She said allied to the domestic violence is the phenomenon of human trafficking, which is beginning to manifest through inter country adoption, a matter of grave concern to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

She stated that the judiciary bears the responsibility of working with other state agencies to eliminate these cankers.

Nana Oye Lithur, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection congratulated the women judges for advancing human rights and equal justice for all thereby making them a tremendous force for good.

She said the IAWJ focus on issues like gender-based violence against women and girls, human trafficking, property rights and HIV and AIDS.

She urged the association to sustain its programmes by widening its network and deepen collaboration.

Nana Oye Lithur stated that despite the fact that the justice sector is grappling with delays in justice delivery, non-implementation of approved activities, duplication of efforts and under-utilisation of man-hours, the Women’s Ministry is confident that the women judges would enthusiastically carry on with the good work.