Efforts to expand women’s leadership in Africa’s legal and justice systems are gaining momentum, but experts warn that progress on representation continues to outpace the cultural and institutional reforms needed for real equity.
Despite strong entry-level numbers and progressive policies, women across the continent remain significantly under-represented in senior roles, and those who rise to leadership often confront invisible barriers rooted in long-standing norms and workplace culture, according to advocates for gender equality in the legal profession.
A new Pan-African initiative, Difference She Makes, is seeking to close this gap by shifting focus from counting women in the profession to ensuring they can “enter, grow, and thrive” in positions of influence. The movement emphasizes structural accountability and an end to what it describes as “tokenism” in justice systems.
“This campaign is a timely intervention,” said Irene Kerubo from Difference She Makes. “While women continue to enter the legal profession in record numbers, their leadership is still held back by persistent structural and cultural constraints.”
Launched in 2025, the campaign is active in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, and has already reached more than 6 million people through storytelling, media campaigns, and advocacy. Its programs include digital profiles of women in leadership, safe-space dialogues, and a cross-border fellowship pairing journalists and legal professionals to spotlight institutional barriers in courts, firms, and legal agencies.
The first digital episode features Anne Ireri, Chief Executive Officer at the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya. Fellows such as Kenyan advocate Susan Musambaki and South African human rights lawyer Tamika Thumbiran are helping expose bias and push for transparency in career pathways.
Advocate Musambaki says the visibility work is long overdue: “Difference She Makes amplifies our collective voice to make legal spaces more inclusive and truly reflective of women’s leadership.”
The movement is powered by leading voices in the profession, including Zambia’s first female Bar Association president Linda Kasonde and retired South African Judge Mohini Moodley. It is supported by platforms such as Legally Clueless, Nalafem and East Africa Media Group.
South African journalist Ntombi Nkosi says the campaign’s storytelling approach is reshaping public perceptions: “This initiative is a commitment to ensure that women in law are not just included, but visible, respected, and celebrated.”
The initiative also has a global ambition. In partnership with Nalafem, Difference She Makes will present Africa’s experience and legal reforms at the 2026 UN Commission on the Status of Women, contributing evidence and ideas to international gender-justice discussions.
The campaign’s next steps include regional convenings and continued investigations into systems that shape the careers of women in justice — with a central demand: that institutions themselves carry the burden of change.
