Authored By: Adebiyi Boluwatife Salome
Babcock University
“A woman’s place is in the kitchen, if she aims too high, she will be blown away by the wind.” This is the thought we have let rule us for ages. The insufficient representation of women in leadership positions under the Nigerian legal system is not a novel concept; it is evident in positions like the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Judges and law firm owners. This is not because there are no women that aspire for these roles but because of reasons such as lack of empowerment, cultural norms, institutional bias, and challenges of balancing professional and family responsibilities. These obstacles have limited women’s advancement in the legal field. Although some women like Stella Thomas have fought against all odds to thrive amidst these challenges, others have been weighed down; unable to reach their full potentials. Comparisons to other jurisdictions demonstrate that inclusive reforms enhance justice delivery and institutional credibility. This article argues that closing the gender gap in Nigeria’s legal profession is essential not for strengthening justice alone but equity and national growth. It recommends structured interventions such as formulating action policies, mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements and transparent appointment processes to remove entrenched barriers. Advancing women’s inclusion in Nigeria is necessary help to build a more representative and effective justice system.
In 2025, it was reported that women constitute 4 per cent of National Assembly members, 23 per cent of Supreme Court justices, and 4 per cent of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.[1] Nigeria is a patriarchal society and this patriarchy has eaten deep into the fabric of the society. It is seen now as a norm rather than being strange. Women are told not to spread their wings; their every move is dictated by the “superior gender” and they are told not to move outside the bracket of their traditional roles. They have been made to believe that they are less than men and should not aim high. Stella Thomas became the first West African to be called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1933[2] and the first female magistrate in Nigeria despite these barriers. This was not attained easily. The battles she faced and odds she had to overcome cannot be overlooked. Racism and discrimination were major issues she faced but she had strong will to overcome them. Not every woman has such will power to overcome these barriers; some do not even have the opportunity.
Due to modernization and awareness, the enrollment of women in law faculties and practice has increased significantly. Nigeria has reached an unprecedented milestone in 2026 with the Nigerian Law School, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and NBA having all female leaders. Recently, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, was elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association.[3] Although these are great achievements, there are still a lot of women facing discrimination in the legal field. Section 42 of the Nigerian constitution[4] highlights the right to freedom of from discrimination but this discrimination still persists. In 2024, it was recorded that out of 720 SANs(Senior Advocates of Nigeria), only 35 were women.[5] About 40 per cent of lawyers in Nigeria are females yet, very few are given senior leadership roles. This is not because women are incompetent; in fact, it is a popular saying that a woman must work twice as hard as a man to be recognized. Unfortunately, this is reality.
Women in Nigeria’s legal profession continue to face ingrained cultural and societal pressures that limit their career progression. The traditional view that women should prioritize domestic responsibilities[6] over professional ambitions often discourages them from pursuing leadership roles. Even when women excel academically and enter the Bar in large numbers, they are forced to conform to patriarchal expectations around marriage and caregiving unless they will be criticized by not just the society but even their relations. These biases are also seen in various legal institutions in terms of employment, treatment and promotion. The process for promotions and appointments in the judiciary and legal practice often disadvantage women. So far, Nigeria has had 23 Chief justices with only 2 being females.[7] This structural issue has to be addressed if Nigeria wants to move forward as a country because the legal profession is an important sector in any country.
Another major challenge faced by women in the legal profession is work-life balance. The struggle to balance family responsibilities with demanding workload leads to slower career progression. The legal system is very demanding. Although welfare policies like maternity leaves and flexible work arrangements exist, these provisions are not properly and fully implemented.[8] Women frequently face unequal pay, limited access to high-value briefs and heavier emotional labor compared to their male counterparts. The legal profession is the foundation of every country and it is an irony that the profession meant to uphold justice partakes in such act.
The Nigerian justice system will be viewed as more credible when there is inclusiveness and diversity. Women also have reasonable contributions to make to enhance the legal system and they should be given the opportunity to do so. According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, women now make up about 55 per cent of lawyers across various firms in the United Kingdom[9] although they remained underrepresented at the partnership level. In order to address this imbalance, the UK introduced mandatory gender pay gap reporting in 2017 requiring employers to report their gender pay gap annually to promote transparency, encourage organizations to address pay disparities, and promote gender equality in the workplace.[10]
Rwanda’s post-genocide reconstruction is also a great reform with regards to women’s representation. Rwanda adopted gender-sensitive constitutional provisions and ratified international treaties to protect women’s rights. Today, women hold more than 63% of seats in Rwanda’s parliament, the highest proportion globally.[11] Nigeria can draw valuable lessons from both the UK and Rwanda. The UK approach through reformative statutes and proper monitoring and implementation alongside Rwanda’s gender-sensitive constitutional provisions should be taken into consideration by the Nigeria government. Nigeria’s legal system needs reform and this reform must not be an abstract concept. Reform has to be followed through with awareness, implementation, monitoring and proper documentation. The only way for Nigeria to attain the heights that countries like the UK have been able to reach is through intentional reform of the legal system. Approaches such as formulation an proper implementation of policies promoting gender equality and women’s inclusion, mentorship and sponsorship programs for female lawyers, flexible work policies to support family-care balance, awareness campaigns to challenge stereotypes and transparent judicial and SAN appointment processes will help in achieving this goal.
In a nut shell, closing the gender gap in Nigeria is not optional but essential. Proper inclusion of women in the legal system and leadership roles will not only help bridge this gap but promote justice, equity, and the credibility of Nigeria’s legal system thereby enhancing growth.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
[1] Onozure Dania, ‘Only 4 women in NASS — Report’ (The Punch, 3 July 2025) <https://punchng.com/only-4-women-in-nass-report/> accessed 21 July 2026.
[2] Gbolade Akinwale, ‘Stella Thomas: The Lagos Barrister Who Defied Britain’s Colour Bar and Changed West African Law’ (Historical Nigeria, 13 July 2026) <https://historicalnigeria.com/stella-thomas-the-lagos-barrister-who-defied-britains-colour-bar-and-changed-west-african-law/> accessed 21 July 2026.
[3] Bada Yusuf, ‘Full list: Nigerian legal institutions currently headed by women’ (Legit.ng, 21 July 2026) <https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1720521-full-list-nigerian-legal-institutions-currently-head-by-women/> accessed 6 August 2026.
[4] Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), s 42.
[5] Adelowo Adebumiti, ‘Study seeks to advance women’s leadership in Nigeria’s legal profession’ (The Guardian Nigeria, 9 May 2026) <https://guardian.ng/guardian-woman/issues/study-seeks-to-advance-womens-leadership-in-nigerias-legal-profession/> accessed 6 August 2026.
[6] Naija Parenting, ‘The Impact of Culture on Gender in Nigeria’ (SmartParenting Nigeria, 19 July 2026) <https://smartparenting.ng/impact-of-culture-on-gender-in-nigeria/> accessed 6 August 2026.
[7] Kafilat Taiwo, ‘Female Leads in Nigeria’s Judiciary’ (Dataphyte, 29 August 2024) <https://archive.dataphyte.com/latest-reports/female-leads-in-nigerias-judiciary/> accessed 6 August 2026.
[8] Joy Erimife and Margaret Ehigie, ‘Work-Life-Balance and Performance among Female Employees in Law Firms in Lagos State, Nigeria’ (2026) NIU Journal of Social Sciences <https://www.niujournals.ac.ug/ojs/index.php/niujoss/article/view/2445/3297> accessed 6 August 2026.
[9] Solicitors Regulation Authority, ‘Diversity in law firms’ workforce’ (SRA, 11 March 2026) <https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/research-publications/diversity-law-firms-workforce/> accessed 6 August 2026.
[10] CMS, ‘Guide to Gender Pay Gap Reporting’ (CMS, March 2025) <https://cms.law/en/media/local/cms-cmno/files/publications/other/guide-to-gender-pay-gap-reporting> accessed 6 August 2026.
[11] Pearl Amina Karungi, ‘Rwanda reaffirms its unwavering commitment to gender equality with 63.8 per cent of women in the Chamber of Deputies’ (United Nations in Rwanda, 4 November 2024) <https://rwanda.un.org/en/282783-rwanda-reaffirms-its-unwavering-commitment-gender-equality-638-cent-women-chamber-deputies> accessed 6 August 2026.
