In its 10 years of functionality the International Criminal Court, which has the authority to prosecute a wide variety of gender-based crimes, boasts an extraordinary record of gender equality within its walls. Of the 18 judges sitting on the court, 10 are female. This sort of gender representation is encouraged in the Rome Statute, the court's founding document. In a further display of equality, the court recently elected Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda as the first female ICC Prosecutor, following the term of former (and first) Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.
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| voiceofunity.com |
Yesterday (Aug 21) marked an important event in the continuation of this tradition when Bensouda announced the appointment of Brigid Inder as Special Gender Advisor. According to an Office of the Prosecutor press release, "[Inder's] immediate priority will be to further strengthen the institutional approach to a range of gender issues and support office-wide strategic responses to gender-based crimes."
Inder, from New Zealand, brings to the office an extensive background in gender-related issues. Previously, she has taken on important roles in organizations such as the Association for Women's Rights in Development and Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice. The addition of her expertise to the court will no doubt further gender justice worldwide. Read the full press release
here
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