This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Africa. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are the first women in their country to achieve a certain distinction such as obtaining a law degree.
KEY FRA = Overseas region of France GBR = British overseas territory of the United Kingdom
Algeria
Blanche Azoulay (1908): First female lawyer in Algeria (upon being called to the Bar of Algiers) Belmihoub Aziz: First female judge in Algeria (c. 1962) Nadia Hammadi: First female appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Algeria (c. 1963–1964) Fatiha Sahraoui and Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani (1964): First indigenous female lawyers in Algeria (upon being called to the Bar of Algiers) Fafa Sid Lakhdar-Benzerrouki: First female to serve as the President of an Algerian Court (1975). In 2010, she became the first (female) President of the Administrative Court of Algeria. She is also the first female to serve as an international judge of the Arab League Court. Ghania Lebied: First female to serve as a member of the Constitutional Council of Algeria (1999) Kaddache Ghania: First female appointed as an Attorney General in Algeria (2008) Oufia Sidhom: First female to serve as the President of a Bar Association in Algeria (2014) Chafika Bensaoula: First Algerian female to serve as a Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (2017) Khadija Aoudia: First Franco-Algerian/Maghreb (female) lawyer to serve as a bar association president in France (2021) Leïla Aslaoui: First female to serve as President of the Constitutional Council of Algeria (2025)
Angola
Maria do Carmo Medina (1925-2014) (1948): First female lawyer (1950) and judge (1976) in Angola. She was also the first (female) Vice President of the then newly created Supreme Court of Angola (1990). Ana Maria de Azevedo Chaves: First female lawyer to work for the Public Prosecutor's Office in Angola (1983) Efigénia Mariquinha dos Santos Lima Clemente (1985), Maria Immaculate Lourenço da Conceição Neto (1988), and Luzia Bebiana de Almeida Sebastião (1991): First females appointed as Judges of the Constitutional Court of Angola (2008) Exalgina Gambôa: First female to serve as the President of the Angolan Court of Auditors (2018) Laurinda Cardoso (b. 1975): First female to serve as the President of the Constitutional Court of Angola (2021) Efigénia Mariquinha dos Santos Lima Clemente (1985): First native-born female to serve as the Vice-President of the Supreme Court of Angola (2023) Inocencia Pinto: First female to serve as the Deputy Attorney General of Angola (2023)
Benin
Hélène Aholou Keke (1974): First female lawyer in Benin. She is also the first female to serve as the President of the Benin Bar Association. Elisabeth Ekoué Pognon (b. 1937) (c. 1962): First female to become a judge, Judge of the Supreme Court of Benin (c. 1970s), and Judge and President of the Constitutional Court of Benin (1993) Victorie Agbanrin-Elisha (b. 1944): First female prosecutor in Benin (1981) Clotilde Médégan-Nougbodé: First female to serve as the President of the High Court of Benin (2003) Reine Alapini-Gansou (b. 1956) (1986): First Beninise female appointed as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (2017) Ismath Bio Tchané Mamadou: First (female) President of the Court of Auditors of Benin (2021)
Botswana
Unity Dow (b. 1959) (1983): First female to study law in Botswana and become a judge (upon her appointment to the High Court of Botswana in 1998). She later became the first female to sit on the Constitutional Court of Botswana. Daphne Kgalaletso Briscoe and Mphathini Motsemme: First female magistrates in Botswana (c. 1986) Memooda Ebrahim-Carstens: First Botswanan female appointed as a Judge of the specialized Industrial Court of Botswana (1994) Athaliah Molokomme (b. 1959) (1981): First female Attorney General of Botswana (2005) Sanji Mmasenono Monageng (b. 1950): First Motswana female appointed as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (2009–2018). She was also the first (female) Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of Botswana (established in 1997). In 1989, she became the third female magistrate in Botswana's history. Leatile Dambe: First female to serve as a Judge of the Botswana Court of Appeal (2018). She was also the first (female) Directorate of Public Prosecutions (2005). Tebogo Tau: First female to serve as the President of the Botswana Court of Appeal (2021)
Burkina Faso
Kouma Emilienne Caboret (née Ilboudo): First female judge in Burkina Faso (1969; when the country was known as Upper Volta). She was also the first female to serve as the President of the High Judicial Court of Burkina Faso (1989). Antoinette Ouédraogo (1984): First female lawyer in Burkina Faso. She later became the first female Bâtonnier of the Burkina Faso Bar Association (2006). Ramata Fofana: First female to serve as the President of a Court of Appeals in Burkina Faso (Bobo-Dioulasso Court of Appeal, 1989–1992; Court of Appeal of Ouagadougou, 1999–2001) Anne Konate and Jeanne Some: First females appointed as members of the Constitutional Council of Burkina Faso (2002) Amina Moussou Ouédraogo Traoré: First female appointed as the Vice President of the Supreme Court of Burkina Faso (1992) and (2005) Thérèse Traoré: First female to serve as the President of the Court of Cassation of Burkina Faso (2014) Ramata Sanfo:"Me Ramata Sanfo - Du Barreau au Notariat." <em>allAfrica.com (French version)</em>, 16 Feb. 2016. <em>NewsBank: Access World News</em>, https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWNB&req_dat=5A0DD3ECB8534A0EACF321D544F3C14C&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews/15B103A42B97E1B0. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024. First female lawyer to become a notary in Burkina Faso (2016) Denise Zaksongo: First Burkinabe (female) lawyer in Italy
Burundi
Dévote Sabuwanka: First female to serve as a member of the Constitutional Court of Burundi (1992) Espérance Musirimu (1995): First female lawyer to register with the Burundi Bar Association Elisa Nkerabirori: First Burundian female lawyer to open her own law firm (c. 1998) Domitille Barancira and Christine Nzeyimana: First female justices to serve as the President of the Constitutional Court of Burundi (1998–2006 and 2007–2013 respectively) Aimée Kanyana: First female to serve as the Ombudsman for the Republic of Burundi (2022) Rose Nkorerimana: First female Attorney General of Burundi (2025)
Cameroon
Miriam Weledji (1968): First female lawyer in Cameroon Alice Nkom (b. 1945) (1971): First French-speaking female lawyer in Cameroon Lucy Gwanmesia: First female to serve as an Advisor to the Supreme Court of Cameroon (1988) Florence Rita Arrey (b. 1948): First female justice appointed as the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal in Cameroon (1990). She was also the first female appointed as the Prosecutor of the Court of First Instance (1974). She became the first female to serve as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Cameroon (2000). In 2018, she became the first female to become a member of the Constitutional Council of Cameroon. Justine Aimée Ngounou Tchokonthieu: First female to be appointed as the Attorney General of a Court of Appeal in Cameroon (2010). She later became the first female appointed as the Attorney General of the Special Criminal Court of Cameroon (2015). Ntyam Mengue (b. 1954): First Cameroonian (female) to serve as a Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (2016) Annie Noëlle Bahounoui Batende: First female to serve as the President of the Special Criminal Court of Cameroon (2020) Claire Atangana-Bikouna: First female to serve as the (Interim) President of the Cameroon Bar Association (2020) Dongmo Tabontsa Nidelle Jara (2024): First visually impaired female lawyer in Cameroon and Central Africa Marie-Claire Nseng-Elang: First female to serve as the Attorney General of the Supreme Court of Cameroon (2025)
Cape Verde
Evelyse de Melo Monteiro: First female lawyer in Cape Verde Vera Duarte (b. 1952): First female to serve as a magistrate in Cape Verde (1977) and Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde Lígia Lubrino Dias Fonseca (b. 1963) (1989): First Bastonária of the Cape Verde Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados de Cabo Verde) from 2001–2004. She became First Lady of Cape Verde in 2011. Maria de Fátima Coronel: First female appointed as the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Cape Verde (2015) Januária Tavares Silva M. Costa: First female to serve as a Substitute Judge of the Constitutional Court of Cape Verde (2015). In 2018, she became the first Cape Verdean female to become a Judge of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Central African Republic
Thérèse Dejean (b. 1946) (c. 1970s): First female magistrate in the Central African Republic Danièle Darlan (b. 1952), Clémentine Fanga Napala, Sylvia Pauline Yawet Kengueleoua, and Marie Serra: First females to serve as members of the Constitutional Court of the Central African Republic (2013). In 2017, Darlan became the first female elected President of the Constitutional Court. Adelaïde Dembélé and Emmanuelle Ducos: First females appointed as members of the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic (2017). In 2018, Ducos was elected as the first (female) Vice-President of the Special Criminal Court.
Chad
Ngonyam Béradinfar: First female magistrate in Chad (1983) Nadingar Ekoue Thérèse (1992), Jacqueline Moudeina (1995), and Delphine Djiraibe (c. 1995): First female lawyers in Chad respectively Ruth Yaneko Romba: First female to serve as an Advisor (Councilor) on the Supreme Court of Chad (2000) Agnès Ildjima Lokiam: First female to serve as a member of the Constitutional Council of Chad (2002) Nadjilem Née Ngaoundi Bombaïto Collette: First female public prosecutor in Chad
Comoros
Ms. Binti: First female magistrate in Comoros (1967-1968) Harimia Ahmed (1988): First female lawyer in Comoros. She later became the first female President of the Moroni Bar. Zamzam Ismaël: First female to serve as a public prosecutor in Comoros (upon her appointment to the Fomboni Court of Appeal in 2012) Maoulida Djoubeire: First female to serve as the Public Prosecutor (Head) of the Moroni Court of First Instance (2014)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mrs. Collin (1944): First female lawyer to register with the Bar of Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) in the Belgian Congo [former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]Mrs. Collin (first name unknown, though her husband was the Director of Aeronautics at that time) was registered in one of the only two bar associations established in the French Congo in 1930 (the other being in Élisabethville [now Lubumbashi]. Guizela "Gisèle" Malanda: First female magistrate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1968) Theresa Malinda Henriette: First female public prosecutor in Zaire (1985; another former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) Brigitte Lembwadio (2000): First Black (female from the Democratic Republic of the Congo) lawyer to practice in Switzerland Rose Tumba Kaja: First female lawyer to become a Bâtonnier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2014) [upon her appointment in the Lubumbashi Bar; Haut-Katanga Province] Jeanne Mobele Bomana and Delphine Banza Nsengalenge: First females appointed as Advocate Generals of the Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2014) Alphonsine Kalume Asengo Cheusi (b. 1955): First female to serve as a Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2020) Marthe Nonde Odio: First female to serve as First President of the Council of State (a federal administrative court) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2022)