Our Blog

East Africa, Constitutional Law Joshua Malidzo Nyawa East Africa, Constitutional Law Joshua Malidzo Nyawa

Gendered Justice and Constitutional Symbolism: The Historical Appointment of Martha Koome as Kenya’s Chief Justice

In this post, Joshua Malidzo Nyawa reflects on the judicial appointment of Honourable Martha Koome as Kenya’s first woman Chief Justice. He further highlights the history of institutionalised patriarchy within the judiciary, arguing that Koome’s appointment marks a powerful moment of constitutional symbolism and meaningful commitment to gender equality, with lessons that extend beyond Kenya.

Read More
Africa, Human Rights Amanda Quest Africa, Human Rights Amanda Quest

Spotlighting Female Genital Mutilation: An Insidious Human Rights Crisis

In this post, Amanda Quest examines the failure to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa. In doing so, she highlights the gap between legal and policy frameworks and lived experiences due to patriarchal values in several African countries, which persist despite FGM being outlawed. She argues that community-level interventions coupled with economic empowerment for women and girls are essential to overcome FGM in Africa.

Read More
South Africa, Gender Equality Meghan Campbell & Ben Warwick South Africa, Gender Equality Meghan Campbell & Ben Warwick

Temporality Matters for Women’s Equality

In this post, Meghan Campbell and Ben Warwick explain how gender inequality isn’t just about differences in status or resources—it’s also about time. The duo, observe that women often experience 'time poverty' due to unpaid domestic work, while legal systems tend to overlook how inequality develops gradually. Through case law, the authors show how rigid timelines can prevent women from accessing justice. They argue that more flexible, time-sensitive legal approaches are needed to address these structural inequalities and promote lasting gender equality.

Read More

Submissions

 We welcome unsolicited submissions covering current legal developments in constitutional law, fundamental rights law, public law, international law and related fields.