TOWARDS A WOMEN JUDGES PLATFORM IN THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION (SEMED)

Transcription

1 TOWARDS A WOMEN JUDGES PLATFORM IN THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION (SEMED) SEMED REGIONAL WOMEN JUDGES FORUM Under the Patronage of: The Supreme Judicial Council of Morocco (CSPJ) Organized by: The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) In cooperation with: Union of Moroccan Women Judges International Association of Women Judges December 2017 Casablanca, Morocco Mövenpick Hotel Casablanca PROGRAMME AGENDA We are delighted to welcome you to Towards a Women Judges Platform in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region: SEMED Regional Women Judges Forum. The Forum offers a unique opportunity to: 1. Discuss and exchange knowledge and experience on the key barriers, lessons, pathways and models to women judges effective participation and leadership in the justice sector; 2. Examine areas where the relevance and influence of women judges made a difference; 3. Identify lessons, models and approaches for building a regional women judges platform; 4. Discuss and refine key elements of the platform, such as vision, objectives, priorities and action points toward the establishment of a regional forum of women judges. All the sessions will be interactive. Contributions during the Forum will be very welcome.

2 Day 1: December 14, :30 Conference registration 10:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks His Excellency, Hon. Judge Mustapha Fares First President, Court of Cassation, Deputy Chairman, Supreme Judicial Council of Morocco Ms. Marie-Anne Birken General Counsel, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Director-General, International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Judge, President, Union of Moroccan Women Judges, Regional Director, Europe and Middle East and North Africa (MENA), International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Hon. Ms. Ann Walsh Bradley Judge, Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin, USA Member, Board of Managerial Trustees, IAWJ 10:20 Introduction to the Objectives, Format and Structure of the Forum Mr. Ahmed Shehata, Conference Chairman Regional Program Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), IDLO 10:30 Session One: Women Judges Leadership and Representation in the Justice Sector: Key Barriers and Challenges This session will discuss the challenges that women face as judges. It will inquire into: What are the barriers to women s participation and leadership in the justice sector? Why do they persist? And how do we address them? This session will warm up and generate incisive discussion and analysis of these issues. Presentations will focus on both global/regional and national/local levels. Moderator: Ms. Marie-Anne Birken Hon. Ms. Ann Walsh Bradley Women Judges Presence on the Bench: The Global Picture Hon. Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane (Former) Acting Supreme Court Justice, Sri Lanka Contribution of Women Judges to the Field of Law: Realized and Unrealized Potential Hon. Mrs. Sondes Chikh Judge, Chargé de Mission, Ministry of Justice of Tunisia Women Judges in the SEMED Region: The Past, Present, and Future 11:30 Refreshments Break 12:00 Session Two Pathways, Lessons and Models for Women s Effective Participation as Justice Sector Actors: Stories of Success and Strategies for Overcoming Barriers 2

3 13:30 Lunch This session will highlight what pathways women judges used to enhance their participation, whether through increasing their numbers, improving the quality of their participation, or enabling transformative changes in legal or justice reform. It will also discuss lessons and models for effective participation, including through stories of success (or failures) or by outlining strategies for addressing barriers. It will inquire into questions such as: What led to the increased number of women judges? What brought about the appointment of high level women justices? What enabled increased visibility or influence of women judges in justice reform and other areas of governance? Moderator: Hon. Ms. Ihssan Barakat Judge, Court of Appeals of Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Experience of Jordanian Women Judges: Successes and Challenges The Moroccan Experience: Moroccan Women Judges Associations: Contributions to Women s Leadership in Morocco Hon. Ms. Saida Chebili Judge, President, Tunisian Association of Women Judges The Tunisian Experience: The Tunisian Association of Women Judges: Contributions to Women s Leadership in Tunisia Hon. Ms. Rasha Hammad Judge, Head, Palestine Judicial Institute The Experience of Palestinian Women Judges: Successes and Challenges Hon. Ms. Hania Helweh Judge, President, President, Commercial Chamber, North Lebanon The Experience of Lebanese Women Judges: Successes and Challenges Hon. Ms. Amal Ammar Judge, Member, Technical Bureau, National Centre for Judicial Studies, Egypt The Experience of Egyptian Women Judges: Successes and Challenges 14:45 Session Three Achievements, Impact and Contribution of Women Judges on Gender Equality and Women s Empowerment: SEMED Region Country presentations during this session will identify the contributions of women judges and justice professionals in four areas: (a) economic empowerment; (b) political empowerment; (c) family and marriage equality; and (d) gender-based violence. The session will also look at how were these contributions were achieved? Moderator: Mr. Michel Nussbaumer Hon. Dr. Suhair Tobasi Judge, Court of Appeals of Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan The Contribution of Women Judges to Women s Legal Empowerment in Jordan and in the Region Dr. Mahasen Al Jaghoub 3

4 Professor of Law, University of Jordan, Royal Committee for Developing the Judiciary and the Rule of Law, Jordan The Contribution of Women Legal Professionals to Advancing Judicial Reform and the Rule of Law Hon. Ms. Hania Helweh The Role of Women Judges in Women s Economic Empowerment Hon. Ms. Eman Elkamary Head of Discrimination and Gender Balance Department, Human Rights, Women and Children Sector, Ministry of Justice, Egypt The Role and Achievements of Women Judges in Advancing Women s Rights 15:45 Refreshments break 16:15 Session Four Increasing Representation, Relevance, Influence and Voice of Women Judges in Justice Sector Delivery and Policy Reform: Lessons from Other Regions and Sectors 17:15 Close 09:30 Refreshments Session Four will focus on lessons from other regions and sectors. How do women judges fare in other regions? What enabled their increased participation and influence? How did they address challenges to their participation and leadership? What factors can support their continued inclusion and increased influence as leaders or justice service providers? Are there lessons from other sectors (e.g. executive or legislative branches of government or the private sector) in increasing women s participation that are of relevance in the justice sector? Moderator: Hon. Ms. Ann Walsh Bradley Hon. Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane (Former) Acting Supreme Court Justice, Sri Lanka Women Judges in Asia: Challenges and Pathways to Advancement and Leadership Hon. Klaudia Lozyk Judge, President, District Court of Slutsk Women Judges in Europe: Challenges and Pathways to Advancement and Leadership Hon. Ms. Feda AlHmoud Senator, Senate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Insights from the Legislative Branch: Leadership Role of Women Parliamentarians Dr. Farida Bennani Professor of Law, University of Cadi Ayyad, Marrakesh, Morocco The Contribution of Female Legal Scholars and Judges to the Interpretation of Islamic Law and Women s Rights in Morocco and Beyond Day 2: December 15, :00 Session Five Building a Women s Judges Platform for Change: Lessons, Models, Approaches 4

5 This session will involve discussion of various models and approaches toward building and strengthening platforms. It will look at the principles and objectives upon which these platforms are created, how they are structured and sustained, and their various activities and impacts. The session will also draw lessons on the successes and challenges encountered by these models and approaches. During this session, the presentation/s will also identify what models should be considered as best fit for the SEMED region. Moderator: Presenter: Ms. Anne Goldstein Education Director, International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Regional Models for Women Judges Platforms: Global Perspectives Discussant: The SEMED Context Rapporteur: Ms. Rea Abada Chiongson Break-out Group Facilitators: Hon. Ms. Saida Chebili Hon. Ms. Klaudia Lozyk Hon. Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane Hon. Ann Walsh Bradley 11:00 Refreshment break 11:30 Session Six Working Towards a Women Judges Platform for Change in the SEMED Region Taking into account the previous discussions, participants in this session will identify the rationale for setting up a women judges platform for the SEMED region. What should be its key principles and objectives? How will it be structured? What should be its main activities? How will it engage with, build on and support existing efforts? How will participants take it forward and build a sustained advocacy and change platform? Moderator: Hon. Ms. Ann Walsh Bradley Presenter: Moving Toward a SEMED Women Judges Platform: Rationale, Needs, and Objectives Rapporteur: Ms. Rea Abada Chiongson Break-out Group Facilitators: Ms. Marie-Anne Birken 5

6 12:30 Lunch Hon. Dr. Suhair Tobasi Hon. Ms. Rasha Hammad 13:45 Session Seven Taking the Women Judges Platform Forward at the National Level: Next Steps Break-Out Groups: 1- Egypt; 2- Jordan; 3- Lebanon; 4- Morocco; 5- Palestine; 6- Tunisia. During this session, participants will agree on steps to be taken at the national level to take the women judges platform forward and keep up momentum. Participants will agree on three practical steps to be taken upon return to their home countries. Outcomes of these discussions will feed into a draft communique that embodies the points of agreement during the Forum on the establishment of a women judges platform and its key elements. Facilitators/Rapporteurs: Ms. Rea Abada Chiongson Ms. Anne Goldstein 14:45 Refreshments break 15:15 Wrap-up/Closing session/address by Dignitaries and Organizers 16:00 Close Ms. Marie-Anne Birken Presentation and adoption of Forum communique Conference ends ************************ 6