Women Take Over Lagos Judiciary! Male Folks are Endangered Specie. - Favour Irabor

Prior to 1999, male judges dominated Lagos State Judiciary just like other states in the federation. Female judges took the back seat and nobody felt there was any imbalance in the system. But today, there is much hullabaloo as it is perceived that women are taking over. The justification for this position is the publication in the DAILY SUN of Wednesday March 24, 2010 on pages 44 and 45 captioned Women take over Lagos Judiciary! Male folks are endangered specie.

Lagos State should be commended for adopting affirmative action at achieving gender equality and gender parity and redressing the imbalance that has characterized the composition and appointment into the judiciary for decades. Lagos State also appointed a non-indigene in the person of Ms Nwaka who hails from Delta State as a judge. Thus Lagos State can proudly be described as anti-discrimination compliant State. Female judges in Lagos State are known to be bold. Examples abound like Justice Dolapo Akinsanya that declared the Interim National Government illegal in 1993. The latest judgment that is salutary is the decision of Justice Oke which awarded N100M damages in favour of Ms Okere for the violence inflicted upon her by some naval personnel.

It is indeed sad and disconcerting that the SUN which should be in the vanguard to champion gender equality and gender parity is surreptitiously advocating for the extinction of this policy via its publication of 24th March 2010. The situation in Lagos State is justified by Article 4 of CEDAW which deals with temporary special measures and reinforced by the critical areas of concern under the Beijing Platform of Action.