Gender Responsiveness

Gender equality and inclusion are central to strengthening fair, effective and representative judicial systems across the Pacific. Women remain significantly underrepresented across courts in the region, limiting both the diversity of judicial perspectives and the ability of justice systems to respond effectively to the needs of all members of the community. Addressing these systemic challenges requires sustained collaboration, practical support and the development of clear pathways into and through the judiciary.

Equality & Inclusion

Through APJP, the Federal Court of Australia works in partnership with the Pacific Association of Women Judicial Officers (PAWJO), inaugurated in February 2026 as the region’s representative body for women in the judiciary. This collaboration supports efforts to promote gender‑competent and gender‑responsive courts, strengthen access to justice for women, and provide wellbeing and professional support for female judicial officers.

APJP’s programming focuses on building sustainable, regionally relevant approaches to advancing gender equality in the judiciary. This includes supporting PAWJO’s Annual General Meeting and activities; developing a regional approach and career pathway for judges to address barriers to appointment and elevation; and sharing these approaches across the region through webinars. The program also supports the delivery of its Judicial Collegium, ensuring strong participation from both judicial Guides and Members, and identifies opportunities for Australian judges to contribute practical experience and advice.

Through ongoing dialogue and regional exchange, APJP also facilitates discussions on improving fair outcomes for women and marginalised groups, contributing to a broader effort to address the systemic underrepresentation of women in the judiciary and to promote a more inclusive and representative justice system.

Judicial Collegium

The promotion of gender competences within and responsiveness by courts throughout the Pacific region is a key goal of APJP. With only 18 percent of judges in superior courts across the Pacific being female and representing 6.7 percent of the region’s lay judiciary and magistracies, the lack of gender balance on Pacific court benches can impact balanced and fair outcomes, particularly for women and other marginalised societal groups. While the region’s courts have been proactive in supporting greater gender diversity on court benches, significant gaps remain.

Through its Judicial Collegium APJP will create opportunities for female Pacific judicial officers throughout the region. The mentorship program involves matching Members with experienced judicial Guides in courts in the Pacific and Australia. The Program aims to assist Members to bolster the confidence, leadership and technical expertise to advance to more senior judicial positions within their respective jurisdictions, when available. Some Members will spend two weeks in the jurisdiction of their judicial Guide, followed by a 6-month period of remote mentoring and support.

The APJP Judicial Collegium Guide (PDF, 433 KB) and associated applications and forms for Members (PDF, 531 KB) and Guides is available.

Pilot Judicial Collegium Program, Adelaide, Australia, May 2026

The Judicial Collegium Program commenced with a pilot in May during which time three judicial officers from the Pacific were hosted for a two-week residency in Adelaide with judges from the Federal Court of Australia, Supreme Court of South Australia and District Court of South Australia. Judicial Members came from courts in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia, representing the three regional geographic groupings within the Pacific. Tailored programs were developed for each participant, combining one to one guidance, court observation, institutional discussions and attendance at the International Association of Women Judges Conference (Asia Pacific). The collegium arrangements will continue remotely for several months, during which time APJP will review, refine and strengthen the program for broad, regional launch.