Justice Ayesha Malik receives international award in Austria
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Justice Ayesha Malik of the Supreme Court of Pakistan received the International Leader/Lifetime Award at the Justitia Awards 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
The award recognized her work developing law and justice in Pakistan, along with her commitment to equality and human rights. Presenting the award to Justice Malik acknowledged the importance of women holding influential positions within legal systems and shaping legal development.
During her trip, Justice Malik spoke at the Women in Law Conference 2026, discussing her experiences as a woman judge since her 2012 appointment to the Lahore High Court and her 2022 appointment to the Supreme Court. She explained that achieving equality requires considering how women experience the law in practice, not just providing legal protections on paper.
Justice Malik highlighted the need for legal principles and institutions to address the realities of women's lives, referencing her own legal work on dignity, equality, and women's treatment within the justice system. The Women in Law initiative in Pakistan celebrated the award as a moment of national pride. Justice Malik became the third Pakistani woman to receive a Justitia Award, joining rights activist Jalila Haider, who received an award in 2023, and Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry.
Each woman received an award in a different category.
