Justice Mandisa Maya's ascendancy to the helm of the judiciary is an important milestone, coming as it does in the 101st year since women have been allowed to practise law in South Africa.

August is Women's Month as the historic day of 9 August - when 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 demanding an end to the dreaded pass laws - falls in the month. It reminds us to take stock of South Africa's enormous strides in transforming its judiciary to make it more diverse, particularly in the representation of women.

There could not be a starker difference between the judiciary of 1994 and that of 2024. Then, only two out of 156 judges were women. In 2024, 46% (113 of 248) of judges are women. In the lower courts, women magistrates make up 52% (866 of 1,652) of the magistrates across the country.

A more diverse judiciary is more legitimate, while its jurisprudence is enriched by wider perspectives on law and society. President Cyril Ramaphosa's appointment of Justice Mandisa Maya as South Africa's first woman chief justice further affirms women's progress in the judiciary.

Despite these important strides in women's advancement in the judiciary over the past 30 years, there are still too few women in leadership positions in the judiciary. This is partly a result of structural obstacles standing...