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HomeIAWJ Rising Leaders Fellowship


In 2022, the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) received a grant from Co-Impact’s Gender Fund to support the IAWJ Women in Leadership in Law (WILIL) initiative. This five-year program endeavors to transform judicial institutions and create enabling environments in which women enter, thrive, advance as leaders in the judiciary.


Through the initiative, the IAWJ has established a Rising Leaders Fellowship Program that will include early-career judicial professionals nominated by IAWJ member associations in the Global South. As members of the cohort, these individuals will enjoy engagement with their peers and judicial leaders globally and have expanded opportunities to support Women in Leadership in Law initiative activities both within their respective countries and as part of the global network of IAWJ members.



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Flordeliz Cabanlit Fargas

Philippines


She has been with the Judiciary for 30 years now- rose from the ranks from being a Court Attorney of Justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, Chief of the Office of Policy and Development Research of the Judicial and Bar Council until she got appointed as the Presiding Judge of the  Family Court. She is a Law Professor and a member of the Pool of Lecturers of the Supreme Court and the Philippine Judicial Academy. She is likewise a Resource Speaker and Facilitator in both the government and private sector on topics involving Gender and Development.


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Hermielita Meneses

Philippines


Judge Hermielita Martinez Meneses is a presiding judge in a Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Pampanga, Philippines. She was a Senior Court Attorney at her country’s Supreme Court before she was appointed as a member of the Bench. Prior to which, she spent ten (10) years of her career also as a Court Attorney at the Court of Appeals researching on laws, rules, and jurisprudence, and drafting decisions. She is also a professor in a law school and an advocate for equality in law as well as for nature and children’s right to education.



Elmira S. Cruz - Caisido 

Philippines


She is the new presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 68, Camiling, Tarlac, PH after taking her oath last March 2022. She started her legal career as an Associate Solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General then changed to corporate practice for 5 years. After pursuing a career as Human Resource Manager, she returned to legal practice as Deputy Executive Director at the PH Government Procurement Policy Board-Technical Support Office. Persuing her dream of becoming part of the judiciary, she joined the legal team of PH Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier as Court Attorney before her appointment as judge.


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Rosella Viane Papalii

Samoa


She was appointed and sworn in as a District Court Judge of Samoa in 2017; she sit on all proceedings within the District Court jurisdiction including criminal, civil, traffic, family, family violence and youth court and she is also the principal presiding judge for the therapeutic Alcohol and Drugs Court (District Court) of Samoa. Prior to her judicial elevation, she practiced law for 12 years in the private sector operating her own law firm (RV PAPALII LAW) whilst at the same time serving on the executive council of the Samoa law Society for more than 10 years. She graduated with a masters in law degree in 2004 from Waikato University in Hamilton New Zealand but also holds 3 other degrees from the same university including a bachelor of laws.


Loupua Pahulu-Kuli

Tonga


Loupua Pahulu-Kuli of Houma–‘Utulau, Tongatapu took up appointment as Senior Magistrate of the Magistrate Courts of Tonga on 1 January 2020. She is one of the two female Magistrates in Tonga. Upon this appointment, Senior Magistrate Pahulu-Kuli became a life peer. SM Pahulu-Kuli had previously worked for the United Nation Development Program (UNDP), Legislative Assembly of Tonga, Attorney General’s Office of Tonga and privately practiced. Her notable legal work led her to be President of the Tonga Law Society for two years before her appointment. She makes sure that nothing less than her best is delivered in her work as a judicial officer.


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Luvencia Desir

Haiti


Luvencia DESIR was born on December 4, 1988 in Haiti. After her law studies and her degree in Education Sciences in 2012, she joined the Gonaives Bar in 2013. She obtained a Magistrate diploma at the School of Magistracy (EMA), Port-au-Prince , Haiti in 2016 and another Magistrate degree at the National School of Magistracy (ENM), Bordeaux, France, in 2017. She joined the Haitian judiciary in September 2017 as Substitute of the Government Commissioner for the Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of First Instance of Gonaïves where she spent 5 years. Currently, she is a judge at the Court of First Instance of Saint-Marc and a master's student in international and European law of fundamental rights at the University of Nantes, France.


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Michena Lamothe

Haiti


Michena Lamothe works at the Court of First Instance of Gonaïves where she has been appointed as a (Sitting) Judge since August 2017 after her (initial) training at the School of Magistracy (EMA). She is very happy to have been selected as a member of the Rising Leader 2023 cohort and to be able to attend the 16th Biennial Conference of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) which will be held in Marrakech (Morocco) from May 11 to 15, 2023. She hopes (even dare to believe) that this experience will be very enriching, and, in return, she will do her best to fulfill her responsibilities in perfect collaboration with the team of the Women in Leadership In Law initiative (WILIL) for the agreed period.


Simone Walker-McFarlane 

Jamaica


Her honour, Mrs. Simone Walker McFarlane, currently serves as a parish court judge in Jamaica, a position she has held for approximately three years. As a parish court judge, she adjudicates in the parish of St. Mary in the areas of criminal, civil, family, and traffic. She is an astute community advocate with exceptional leadership skills with a track record of holding distinctive roles to include. Judge Walker-McFarlane is an adept writer. She has co-authored publications addressing human rights and justice to include, “Legalization of Abortions – What is the big deal?” (AGC Pulse, August 2018), and “Rethinking Sustainable Development in Terms of Justice” (Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2018). 


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Sharlene Jaggernauth 

Trinidad and Tobago


Master Sharlene Jaggernauth was appointed to the Family Bench of the Judiciary of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in 2021. Prior to her appointment, she served as Legal Services Manager of the newly established Child Protection Authority within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for a period of 5 years. She has contributed extensively to major legislative reform as well as the jurisprudence touching and affecting child and family law in Trinidad and Tobago as lead counsel in a number of landmark cases which now stand as the jurisprudential authority concerning child law in Trinidad and Tobago.


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Sydelle Johnson

Trinidad and Tobago


In 2019 Master Johnson joined the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago as an Assistant Registrar and Deputy Marshall. In January, 2021 she was promoted to the position of Master of the High Court in the Family and Children Division and is currently the sitting Master at the Family Court in the island of Tobago. In July 2013, Master Johnson was selected to participate in the United Nations 51st Graduate Study Programme in Geneva, Switzerland, where she obtained a certificate in Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In August, 2015, she completed her Master of Laws in Human Rights Law with merit from the University of London, Queen Mary University.

Verónica Gloria Acacio Trujillo 

Mexico


Master in Law and Doctor Honoris Causa by the Claustro Nacional de Doctores. Numerary Magistrate in the Judiciary Council of the Judicial Power of the State of Quintana Roo, ratified for a second period of exercise in the position of Numerary Magistrate by the Congress of the State of Quintana Roo. Promoter and permanent defender of Human Rights and Vulnerable Groups.


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Guillermina Matias Garduno

Mexico


Mexican Federal Judge with seven years of experience in the position, with a constant academic preparation since she has a doctorate, two master's degrees and a specialty, diligent for human rights, she has participated and collaborated in multiple courses on topics such as gender equity, children's rights and adolescents, among others; she has also served as a professor and is the author of legal documents, she is also a member of two associations of women judges in her country.


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Wendy Cano Santos

Guatemala


Lawyer and Notary Public, with a Master's Degree in Procedural Law and closed curriculum in Doctorate in Criminal Sciences. In 2017 she began her judicial career as a Justice of the Peace. She is currently a Judge of First Instance in specialized Court with competence in crimes of femicide and other forms of violence against women.


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Luz Adriana Flórez Rodríguez

Colombia


Lawyer of the Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga- Santander-, with specialization in Medical Responsibility, Constitutional Law and Probative Law. She has conducted studies applied to gender-based violence against women and femicide. During the last 10 years, she has served as Municipal Criminal Judge with Function of Control of Guarantees in the city of Bogota, Republic of Colombia. During her judicial career, she has led gender focus programs in the Colombian judiciary; particularly as a member of the regional Gender Committee of the Judges of Bogota between 2018 - 2019 and member of the COLOMBIAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JUDGES.

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Edith Alarcón Bernal

Colombia


Edith Alarcón Bernal, Administrative Judge 61 of Bogotá with more than ten years of experience in the Judicial Branch. Lawyer from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Specialist in Constitutional and Administrative Law, Master in Law and PhD Candidate. Teacher of Specialization and Master's Degrees. Passionate defender of human rights. Member of the Association of Independent Judges for Rights - ASOJUDICALES, spokesperson of the Administrative Judges of the Third Section in the judicial institutions of the country and active member of the COLOMBIAN ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JUDGES - ACMJ.

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Becheikh Nour-Jihene

Tunisia


Nour Jihene BECHEIKH, born in Tunis on August 28, 1993, holder of a master's degree in private law from the Faculty of Political Science of Tunis and currently a young judge at the Court of First Instance of Grombalia, located in the Governorate of Nabeul. She is committed to human rights and continuously striving to improve her skills to better serve this cause. She is very excited to participate in the IAWJ 2023 event in Marrakech and will support the organization in achieving its goals. This opportunity will allow her to deepen her knowledge of human rights and will gladly contribute to her skills, time and energy to this event.


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Mujibat Iyabobe Oshodi

Nigeria


Her Ladyship, HON. JUSTICE MUJIBAT IYABODE OSHODI who is a multiple degree holder and a former prosecutor in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice Nigeria, was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos State on the 31st of December 2021. Within a year in the Judiciary, Her Ladyship has demonstrated the same zeal and made her contributions to legal jurisprudence in the adjudication of general civil causes and matters. Justice Oshodi’s vision is to continue to preserve the course of justice in the performance of her duties and she was a member of the Local Organizing Committee in 2022 when Lagos State hosted the inaugural international day of women judges.



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Bianca Gyamera-Beeko

Ghana


Her Worship is a lawyer by profession and presides over the District Court, Toase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She was appointed as a magistrate in July, 2022. Prior to her appointment, she worked as a private legal practitioner and subsequently joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (Ghana) Ltd. as a Senior Tax Associate. From 2016 until her appointment, Bianca volunteered as a legal aid officer with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana, a non-profit human rights organisation. In this role, she mediated several matters and represented clients whose matters were not amenable to mediation pro bono. Bianca holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Ghana; one in Psychology and English, and the other in Law.


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Amandine Ingabire

Burundi


She serves as a judge at the Ministry of Justice of Burundi, and she has over nine years of professional experience working on land disputes, women's rights, and children's rights. Ingabire is also a passionate women's rights defender and has expertise in children's rights and gender post-conflict; she was a member of the Association Dushirehamwe for more than 5 years which focuses on increasing women’s voting rights and promoting Human Rights and national reconciliation. Currently, She is a Humphrey Fellow at American University Washington College of Law where she is focusing on gaining skills in Human Rights, International Humanitarian, and International criminal law to enable her to promote community social responsibilities, human rights, justice, and gender equality in her country. 


Helewena Nesru Kedir

Ethiopia


She is Helewena Nesru Kedir. has a LLB, LLM in Business Law and MA in Gender and Development Studies. She has been practicing law for the last fifteen years. Currently, she is serving as a Supreme Court Judge, Ethiopia.





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Veronica Agboje 

Nigeria


Hon. Justice Veronica O. Agboje is a Judge of the High Court of Delta State. She was appointed to the High Court Bench in May 2020. Prior to her appointment, she was a Prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She is married with two children.


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Jackie Kibosia

Kenya


Jackie is a magistrate based in Nairobi (Kenya) with a keen interest in Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ). Represents Judiciary in the National Council on Administration of Justice (NCAJ)- Standing Committee on Child Matters. NCAJ is a high level policy making, implementation and oversight multi-agency chaired by the Hon. Chief Justice. Jackie introduced Art and Play Therapy in the Child Justice System as a Therapeutic Jurisprudence intervention. Holder of the Head of State Commendation- Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW). She is a member of International Association Women Judges-Kenya Chapter.



Rosemary Kemunto Onkoba

Kenya


Rosemary Kemunto Onkoba is a Senior Resident Magistrate at Eldoret Law Courts-Kenya. She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL. B) from the University of Nairobi, Kenya in 2011. Onkoba was admitted to the Bar in 2014 after completing the professional law course at Kenya School of Law. She is pursuing a Master of Laws degree (LL.M) at the University of Nairobi.


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Chetna Singh

South Africa


Chetna Singh, is a magistrate at a District Court in Mpumalanga, South Africa. She holds LL.B and LL.M degrees from the University of Kwazulu Natal, and certificates in insolvency law and leadership from other universities. She is a provincial coordinator for the SAC-IAWJ Mpumalanga region, an editorial member of the South African Judicial Education Institute, and a member of the Marketing an Transformation Committee of the Criminology and Victimology Association of South Africa. 


Hlengiwe Patience Mkhasibe

South Africa


An Additional Magistrate acting as Senior Magistrate at Durban Point Branch (Family) Court in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa with five (5) years’ experience as both Acting Additional Magistrate and Additional Magistrate. She has and will continue to be actively engaged in all family court / law matters as she continues to supervise administration of justice for those in need of access to justice in Family Courts in the Durban area. As a result, her approach to running the administration at the Point Family Court is being inclusive of all stakeholders by being fully accessible to all, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), and other institutions.


Chrisholm Davin Noble

South Africa


Chrisholm Davin Noble, graduated with an LLB degree from the University of the Western Cape and also obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Municipal Financial Management, from the University of Stellenbosch, Business School. He successfully completed my Candidate Attorney Clerkship or Articles and was admitted as an Attorney in the Republic of South Africa, in 2010. He currently has 12 years’ experience in the legal field of which he has practised as an Attorney, Public Prosecutor, Municipal Prosecutor and Legal Advisor. He is also a mentor and a member of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges since 2020. Currently, he is employed by The Judiciary of South Africa as a Magistrate at Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court, in Johannesburg, since February 2020.


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