The Women on High Courts Database

This study provides over-time and cross-national data on women on high courts. The dataset includes information on the year the first woman was appointed and the gender composition of the high court. High courts include single peak courts as found in many common law countries and constitutional courts and highest appellate courts as found in many civil law countries. Information on the year of the first woman spans the period, 1945 to 2020. Data coverage on the number and percentage of women on high courts starts in 1970 or when the court is created, whichever comes first. Countries included have a population of 200,000 or greater. The data were compiled by the authors and their research teams drawing on a combination of secondary sources and information from countries' courts and judges.