Justice Ayesha Malik, the first woman judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, has been named in the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2022.
In January last, Justice Ayesha Malik took her oath and formally became Pakistan’s first woman judge to make it to the top court.
The BBC’s list includes women from various parts of the world, who have played a key role in politics, education, activism, advocacy, health, science, sports and culture.
From Pakistan, Justice Malik is the only woman who has been named in the 10th edition of the BBC’s 100 Women.
“Appointed this year as the first female judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Justice Ayesha A. Malik has authored judgments protecting the rights of women,” the BBC wrote in her brief introduction.
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“This includes her landmark judgment which banned the so-called two-finger test of rape victims. These ‘virginity tests’ used to be performed during the examinations of sexual assault cases until they were outlawed in 2021.”
Alongside her role in the Supreme Court, Ms Malik also conducts training for judges around the world and has inaugurated conferences for women judges in Pakistan, encouraging the debate on the gender perspective in the justice system and other issues.
“Women must build a new narrative — one that includes their perspective, shares their experience, and includes their stories,” Justice Malik is quoted as having said.
The other women named in the list include global music sensation Billie Eilish, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Selma Blair, the ‘tsarina of Russian pop’ Alla Pugacheva, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi, record-breaking triple jump athlete Yulimar Rojas and Ghanaian author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah.
