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Daphne Galvez - The Philippine Star
March 7, 2025 | 12:00am
Women now comprise over half of the sitting judges in the trial courts at 56 percent, according to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
Philstar.com / Irra Lising
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) touted the increased representation of women in the judiciary as the country celebrates Women’s Month this March.
Women now comprise over half of the sitting judges in the trial courts at 56 percent, according to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
In appellate courts, women justices account for 77 percent in the Court of Tax Appeals, 45 percent in the Court of Appeals (CA), and 35 percent in the Sandiganbayan.
He made the emphasis during the SC’s kickoff activity for Women’s Month on March 3, themed “Babae: Sapat ka! Higit pa!,” paying tribute to women as “Pillars of the Rule of Law and a Just and Humane Society.”
Gesmundo noted that two of the sitting SC justices are women: Associate Justices Amy Lazaro-Javier and Maria Filomena Singh.
The appellate courts also have two women presiding justices: CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg.
Gesmundo cautioned that true empowerment is not simply about increasing representation, but also about “fostering a system where women’s leadership, insights and expertise are valued and fully integrated into shaping the nation’s institutional and cultural fabric.”
For her part, Lazaro-Javier said women empowerment "should not be defined as a ‘process’ of ‘becoming stronger’ – because we already are."
She proposed a new definition of women empowerment as “the endless possibilities women create when they embrace their innate abilities to lead and change the world.”
For his part, Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez said that women are now dominating the legal profession, with more women than men passing the Bar exams since 2013.
In the 2024 Shari’ah Bar exams, where 62.3 percent of the passers were female, nine of the 11 topnotchers were women, he said.
Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list yesterday paid tribute to Filipino women ahead of International Women’s Day, highlighting their courage and contributions to society.
The Land Transportation Office will conduct a free theoretical driving course for female applicants as part of the celebration of National Women’s Month.
– Mark Ernest Villeza, Emmanuel Tupas, Christine Boton
