WOMEN IN JUDICIARY. Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo (center, holding the paper) shows to more than 400 women judges from the Philippines and Asia-Pacific the Memorandum of Understanding that marks the partnership between the Philippine Judiciary and Australia's Federal Circuit Family Court in enhancing the capacity of the country's family courts, during the 29th Annual Convention-Seminar of the Philippine Women Judges Association and 2024 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Women Judges at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City on Wednesday (May 8, 2024). With Gesmundo were SC Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier (left) and a representative of the Australian judiciary. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Wednesday underscored the Philippines' initiatives for a more gender-fair judiciary.
Gesmundo said the SC makes gender initiatives a key pillar of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) 2022-2027, recognizing
women empowerment and in keeping with the commitment to gender equality and inclusion.
"True enough, a study we commissioned on Gender Representation and Mobility in the Philippine Judiciary proved that women judges now outnumber male judges in the trial courts. The ratio in our tertiary courts is not far behind," Gesmundo told more than 400 judges from the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific in his speech.
A total of 427 Filipino women judges and 39 foreign judges from 16 Asia-Pacific countries participated in the 29th Annual Convention-Seminar of the Philippine Women Judges Association.
The event was held side by side with the 2024 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Women Judges at the Fili Hotel, Nustar Resort and Casino in this capital city.
According to the chief magistrate, with women judges on the bench, courts become more responsive to the needs of the people they serve, more attuned to their lived realities, and more attentive to the barriers they face in seeking justice.
"The diversity of experiences and perspectives they bring both sharpens and enriches our understanding of the law and the society it inhabits, while also challenging outdated assumptions and beliefs," he added.
Reform blueprint
Gesmundo highlighted SPJI as the judiciary's blueprint for top-to-bottom, system-wide operational and institutional reforms aimed at bringing about an efficient and effective judiciary that delivers justice in real-time.
"It is aimed at three target outcomes: Efficiency, Innovation, and Access. A particular point of emphasis under Access is ensuring Gender Fairness and Inclusivity—because access to justice must be equal for all in every aspect," he said.
At the early stage of the SPJI’s implementation, the Chief Justice said that they adopted the first-ever organic Guidelines on the Use of Gender-Fair Language in the Judiciary and Gender-Fair Courtroom Etiquette.
The guidelines, he said, were an effort to deepen sensitivity to all gender orientations and identities, reduce discriminatory stereotypes in both language and conduct and foster a more inclusive environment in our courts and proceedings.
In her message, SC Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh said “ensuring gender-sensitive law, policy, and practice is crucial to preventing secondary victimization, and to preventing a deepening of gendered inequalities and gender-based violence.”
Family court capacity-building
Gesmundo also led the Philippine delegation in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Australia's Federal Circuit Family Court.
In his message, Gesmundo said the partnership aims at enhancing access to family court for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sector of society, enhancing leadership opportunities in family court judges, capacity building of judges in terms of tracking family cases and sexual abuse and exploitation of children cases.
According to SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting, the partnership covers judicial cooperation through the holding of meetings, study visits, training, and expertise sharing.
Ting said the partnership is effective for five years but can be renewed. (PNA)
