Djiboutian lawyer (head of the Supreme Court)
Khadija Abeba is the President of the Supreme Court of Djibouti and is the country's highest ranking female official.[1]
Career
Abeba was appointed as President of the Supreme Court of Djibouti in 1996.[2] In the event of President Ismaël Omar Guelleh's illness or death, Abeba would become head of state.[3][4][5] Human rights in Djibouti is a major concern of Abeba's and she has organised workshops with the Djiboutian League for Human Rights (LDDH) to explore solutions to issues facing the country.[6]
Khadija Abeba also became the first female judge in 1977, and in 1996 became the first woman in Djibouti to be President of the Court of Appeal.[2][7] She was followed into the Djiboutian judicial system by judges Chantal Clément, Fozia Hassan Bahdon and Naïba Djama.[8] Abeba is known as a progressive legislator in Djibouti.[9] Whilst women have the right to vote in Djibouti their political representation is still limited.[10] In 2003 Hawa Ahmed Youssouf was appointed to role of Secretary of State for the Promotion of Women and Family and Social Affairs.[11]
References