A/HRC/17/30 50. The importance of ensuring adequate representation of women in public offices has been recognized at the international level, inter alia, in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women 29 and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.30 In this regard, the Special Rapporteur welcomes efforts by international and regional courts and tribunals for the inclusion of adequate gender representation as a criterion for the selection of judges.31 51. The Special Rapporteur wishes to highlight the fact that equal representation of women in the judicial system also includes the defence counsel. In this regard, she wishes to draw attention to the creative approach adopted by the International Criminal Court, when it was found that in January 2010 that only 61 of the total of 335 counsel registered to practise before the Court were women, and less than four per cent of counsel were African women. To bridge this gap the Court, in cooperation with the International Bar Association, launched the campaign "Calling African Female Lawyers".32 This innovative effort has resulted in an increase in the number of female African counsel on the defence counsel list and these female lawyers have also been provided with relevant training.33 52. Increasing steps to ensure the equal representation of women and men in the judicial system is essential. Where challenges exist in identifying female legal professionals to be appointed as judges, prosecutors or included in the list of defence counsel, creative strategies, including broadening outreach and networking activities, should be implemented. 2. Mainstreaming gender within the judiciary 53. In the Special Rapporteur’s view, mainstreaming gender within the judiciary implies that the multiple roles of women and men are taken into consideration in the conduct of business within the judiciary, including in the day-to-day operations and the overall planning of the judicial sector. For example, data collection should be sex-disaggregated to guide efforts to plan and build sectorial strategies and gender-neutral language should be preferred in the rulings, minutes and briefing notes to avoid reproducing and promoting a male-centred vision of the world. 54. Efforts should be strengthened to ensure that women are not only considered as victims or clients within the judiciary, but also as key actors in the administration of justice. Women should also be seen as legal professionals with strengths and capacities to contribute to the integrity of the justice system. 55. In this regard, judges and all judicial staff should be adequately trained and sensitized to treat female judges as competent and impartial judges who are committed to exercising independent judgement and are capable of taking on cases in all areas of the law. The Special Rapporteur deeply regrets that in some instances female judges are considered 29 30 31 32 33 For example, article 7 (b) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women recognizes women's right “to perform all public functions at all levels.” See Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Strategic objective G.1., para. 190 (a). See, inter alia, article 14.3 of the Protocol on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Rule 14 of the European Court of Human Rights Rules of Court; Article 36.8 (a) (iii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. International Criminal Court, Calling African Female Lawyers. Available from: http://femalecounsel.icc-cpi.info/ Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, report of the Bureau on equitable geographical representation and gender balance in the recruitment of staff of the International Criminal Court, document No. ICC-ASP/9/30, December 2010, para. 4. 11