Gender issues are often dismissed as women’s issues or only thought to be relevant in cases related to the family or when women are litigants. In fact, gendered assumptions affect women and men, as well as their families. Transgender, intersex and nonbinary people experience gender discrimination. As members of society shift toward a more equitable understanding of gender, judges are often at the forefront of ensuring that everyone’s fundamental rights are protected.

Throughout 2023, judges from nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region have come together to develop tools for judiciaries to support judges and build capacity to address gender equality in both the operation of the courts and the protection of gender-based rights of its staff and judges. These tools include a Gender Audit, a Self-Study Reading list and a set of model policies for adaptation and adoption by judicial leaders.