Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, has urged Nigeria to fundamentally rethink how justice is delivered, stressing that true access to justice must be affordable, humane, and responsive to the realities of women and girls, rather than a privilege reserved for a few.
Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Justice Ogunwumiju challenged government and justice-sector institutions to move beyond rhetoric and build systems that place survivors at the centre. Delivering a keynote address titled “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures with Women and Girls,” she described access to justice as a core obligation of nationhood that must be fulfilled without discrimination.
She called for expanded legal aid for indigent women, the deployment of mobile and community-based justice mechanisms, stronger enforcement of existing laws, particularly the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act—and improved coordination across institutions handling gender-based violence cases. According to her, justice systems that intimidate survivors, delay proceedings, or push women into silence only reproduce harm rather than resolve it.
Justice Ogunwumiju emphasised that responses to women in distress must be trauma-informed and survivor-centred, noting that suspicion and prejudice often replace empathy at critical moments. “Support should come before scepticism, and protection before judgement,” she said, warning that disbelief and delays erode trust in the justice system.
Addressing participants at the anniversary event, held under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Futures with Women and Girls,” she identified uneven enforcement of laws, poor investigation and prosecution, high legal costs, stigma, and discriminatory cultural practices as persistent barriers to justice for women. Despite constitutional protections and legislative progress, she noted, many women and girls still live in fear—fear of violence, fear of stigma, and fear of not being believed.
The Supreme Court Justice argued that justice must be brought closer to the people, particularly women in rural and underserved communities. She advocated innovations such as mobile courts, safe reporting centres, survivor support hubs, community leader sensitisation, and technology-driven case tracking, to reduce delays and prevent secondary victimisation. Recounting the experience of a rape survivor who abandoned her case after travelling long distances to report the crime, she stressed that justice that is distant, costly, or inaccessible is effectively justice denied.
Justice Ogunwumiju also drew attention to the intersection of economic dependence and abuse, observing that many women remain in violent marriages simply because they lack financial alternatives. She called for stronger enforcement of women’s property and inheritance rights, as well as fair and non-discriminatory asset division during divorce proceedings, noting that while courts are making progress, deeper reforms are still needed.
Reflecting on her judicial experience, she cited a landmark custody decision in which she overturned a lower court ruling that favoured a wealthier father over a less affluent mother. She described the original decision as rooted in harmful assumptions about gender, ethnicity, and economic power, reaffirming that both parents are equal before the law. Justice, she insisted, must not bend to wealth, patriarchy, or social status.
While acknowledging the obstacles women continue to face, Justice Ogunwumiju celebrated the growing presence of Nigerian women across sectors, including law, medicine, business, engineering, and community leadership. She noted that women currently hold six out of 20 seats at the Supreme Court and that female lawyers are being called to the Bar in numbers comparable to their male counterparts.
Nonetheless, she cautioned that structural inequalities remain deeply entrenched, limiting the impact of individual achievements. For justice to truly serve women and girls, she said, it must be simple to navigate, affordable to pursue, and accessible to all.
Justice Ogunwumiju paid tribute to WARDC, describing it as one of Africa’s most influential organisations advancing gender equality, human rights, and institutional reform. Founded in 2000 by Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, she noted that the organisation has provided legal aid to thousands of women, trained justice-sector actors, influenced national policy through research, and helped reframe public discourse “from charity to rights and from sympathy to justice.”
She highlighted WARDC’s sustained advocacy on key human rights frameworks and its efforts to promote male allyship, noting that the organisation’s work stands out amid persistent silence and discrimination around women’s rights.
Calling on lawmakers, policymakers, judicial officers, and civil society to act with courage, Justice Ogunwumiju urged stakeholders to collectively build a justice system that hears every voice, protects every woman and girl, and guarantees dignity without discrimination. A society, she warned, cannot progress when half of its population remains unheard or unprotected.
As WARDC marked its silver jubilee, the Supreme Court Justice called for renewed commitment to a future where women and girls can report violence without fear, navigate the justice system without barriers, and live with dignity and hope. “Justice must never be selective, and rights must never be negotiable,” she said, pledging continued collaboration towards justice for all.
