Fifty Years of Women at the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract

The European Court of Human Rights is unique among regional and international courts in that, since 2004, States have been required to include both male and female nominees in their lists of three candidates for judicial office at the Court. Upon the introduction of this rule, the number of female judges at the Court rapidly rose. Despite this, today, there are still fewer women on the Strasbourg bench than men, and the number of female judges is now declining. This chapter explores some of the traits of successful female candidates for judicial office at the Court, namely their regional origin, age, professional background, and feminist engagement, as well as whether they were mothers of young children at the time of their election. It also examines the growing gender gap at the Court, addresses the importance of adequate gender representation on the Strasbourg bench, and formulates recommendations for continuing to ensure that women are appropriately represented among the Court’s judges.