Renowed country experts on African politics address the important issue of the increasing number and role of women judges and justices, as judiciaries evolve across the continent that spans a range of colonial experiences, postcolonial trajectories and legal systems.

Gretchen Bauer is professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware, USA. Her current research focuses on women's political leadership in sub-Saharan Africa. She is the co-editor with Manon Tremblay of Women in Executive Power: A Global Overview (2011) and with Hannah Britton of Women in African Parliaments (2006).

Josephine Dawuni is an assistant professor of political science at Howard University. Her current research focuses on women and the judiciary in sub-Saharan Africa.

Foreword Judge Mabel Agyemang 1. Gender and the Judiciary in Africa-An Introduction Josephine Dawuni 2. Egypt: The Lingering Battle for Female Judgeship Mahmoud Hamad 3. Botswana: Delayed Indigenization and Feminization of the Judiciary Gretchen Bauer and Rachel Ellett 4. South Africa: a Transformative Constitution and a Representative Judiciary Cathi Albertyn and Elsje Bonthuys 5. Nigeria: Women Judges Enhancing the Judiciary Hauwa Ibrahim 6. Tunisia: A New Constitution and More Women Judges Salsabil Klibi 7. Tanzania: Women Judges as Agents of Judicial Education Mi Yung Yoon 8. Benin: Women Judges Promoting Women's Rights Alice Kang 9. Ghana: the Paradox of Judicial Stagnation Josephine Dawuni 10. Rwanda: Balancing Gender Quotas and an Independent Judiciary Jean-Marie Kamatali 11. Gender and the Judiciary in Africa: Conclusion Gretchen Bauer