Navigating state fragility: gender, insecurity, and informal networks in the Haitian judiciary

The proportion of women judges is increasing globally, yet we know little about how they experience judicial work beyond the Global North, particularly in fragile contexts where insecurity and weak institutions shape how power is exercised. This study examines how gender structures judicial experiences in Haiti. Drawing on seventy interviews with magistrates and key informants, it shows that judicial work is shaped by insecurity and reliance on informal networks that regulate access to protection, resources, and influence. The analysis advances a network-based understanding of judicial power by demonstrating that gendered outcomes are produced through unequal access to these networks. Women judges are often excluded from networks that provide protection and opportunities, increasing vulnerability while limiting access to influential roles. While such gendered dynamics are not unique to fragile contexts, the findings show how insecurity amplifies their consequences by making access to informal networks crucial for both protection and participation. By linking research on gender, fragility, and informality, the study offers a framework for understanding how gendered inequalities are reproduced within state institutions under conditions of fragility.