Justice Ayesha Malik makes it to world’s 100 inspiring women list

Justice Ayesha A. Malik, the Supreme Court of Pakistan's first female judge, has been featured in the BBC's 100 Women 2022 list.

The BBC Wednesday revealed names of 100 influential and inspiring women from around the world in its list for the year 2022 among which Justice Malik is the only Pakistani woman to have been featured.

"Women must build a new narrative — one that includes their perspective, shares their experience, and includes their stories," Justice Ayesha Malik said on being included on the revered list.

Earlier this year, the 56-year-old judge made history in Pakistan's judicial system after being sworn in as the top court's first female judge. Her oath was administered by then-chief justice Gulzar Ahmed.

Amid her elevation to the SC garnering debate within judicial and legal circles on the basis of seniority, CJP Ahmed said that no one can take credit for Justice Ayesha's appointment as the apex court judge.

"Justice Ayesha has been appointed on the basis of her merit," the CJP said following the oath-taking ceremony.

Her elevation to the apex court, however, gained immense appreciation from politicians, women rights activists and netizens in the country and abroad following her landmark judgements including the highly-lauded ban on the two-finger virginity test for victims of sexual assault which was outlawed in 2021.

In its praise for Justice Ayesha, the BBC wrote: "Alongside her role on the Supreme Court, Malik also conducts training for judges around the world and has inaugurated conferences for women judges in Pakistan, encouraging the debate around including the gender perspective in the justice system."

Justice Ayesha completed her education from schools in Paris, New York, and London, while she did her bachelor's from Karachi's Government College of Commerce & Economics and LLB from the Pakistan College of Law, Lahore. For her LLM, the SC judge went to Harvard Law School and was named a Landon H. Gammon Fellow for academic excellence.

Justice Ayesha had also served at the Lahore High Court before being elevated to the country's top court.