The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a regional partnership to establish the Asia-Pacific Women Judges Network (APWJN), aimed at strengthening women’s leadership in the judiciary and promoting inclusive, people-centered justice systems across the region. The initiative comes at a crucial time, as women remain underrepresented in judicial leadership positions in Asia and the Pacific despite recent progress, reflecting persistent structural barriers, gender bias, and unequal access to leadership pathways.
Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla of the Supreme Court of Nepal emphasized that the network will allow women judges to share experiences, develop leadership strategies, and amplify their collective voice, particularly in a context where gender equality is facing setbacks in some countries. Consultations supported by the Global Gender Justice Platform highlight that women judges encounter workplace harassment, online abuse, threats, and disproportionate care responsibilities, all of which contribute to slower career progression and higher attrition, with compounded challenges for women from marginalized groups.
Under this partnership, ADB and UNDP will support the establishment of the APWJN, provide tailored capacity-building programs for women judges, and strengthen judicial data collection and dissemination to enable evidence-based analysis of gender dynamics within judiciaries. The initiative will also collaborate with national actors to improve disaggregated and comparable data on women’s representation across judicial levels, supporting progress tracking under SDG indicator 16.7.1(c) on decision-making representation.
ADB Deputy General Counsel Damien J. Eastman noted that inclusive and representative judiciaries are critical for upholding accountability and the rule of law. UNDP’s Deputy Regional Director, Beate Trankmann, emphasized that promoting women’s leadership in the judiciary strengthens justice systems that deliver fair outcomes for women and girls. The initiative builds on UNDP’s “Shifts Underway: Women in Justice” program and leverages ADB’s long-standing engagement with member country judiciaries, reflecting both organizations’ commitment to providing women judicial leaders with tools, data, and a peer network to foster reform and gender-responsive justice institutions.
ADB, a multilateral development bank founded in 1966 and owned by 69 members, supports inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to address poverty, inequality, and climate change, helping nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.
