Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands recently addressed a female empowerment commission at the United Nations.

Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands recently addressed a female empowerment commission at the United Nations.

Her audience was the world.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands was a presenter at the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

Judge Rowlands was one of 20 judges in the world selected to serve as part of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ). Judges from Argentina, Israel, Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines also were invited to participate in the event last week.

“It was an honor to speak at the United Nations as part of IAWJ’s efforts to showcase the positive impacts women judges are creating in justice systems around the world,” Judge Rowlands said. “Women judges often serve as standard-bearers for gender equality, educating women and girls who believe the system is slanted against them, that they can find fairness under the law.”

The topic was “Courts and Public Services: Global Perspectives from Women Judges.”

Judge Rowlands addressed the criminal justice system and how it’s provided services and solutions for the challenges women face in the community. She said collective action is necessary to overcome barriers.

“As women continue to face increasingly critical challenges, the need for global coalition, in response, is increasingly critical,” she said.

The IAWJ is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose members represent all levels of the judiciary worldwide and share a commitment to equal justice for women and the rule of law.