Women’s access to the bench in post-conflict autocratic states: insights from Angola
Women constitute a large proportion of judges at all court levels in Angola. This influx of women judges has taken place in a period of post-civil war reconstruction under the auspices of a formerly left-leaning autocratic regime with a gender-friendly ideology and strong executive control. Combining a desk study and interviews with Angolan judges, we show that access to legal education, the large number of judicial vacancies, the introduction of a merit-based recruitment system and female role models have favoured women’s access to lower-level courts. While there are no obvious gender barriers to accessing high courts and judicial leadership positions for women, tight ruling party control over appointment procedures ensures that loyal party candidates are preferred, regardless of sex. Challenging the emerging literature on gender and judging in the Global South, we find that informal gatekeepers play a less important role than expected for women’s access to the bench.
Margareth Nangacovie
