CJI N.V. Ramana Talks About Underrepresentation Of Women In The Judicial System, Upliftment Of Female Lawyers And More
One of the main things that I feel people don’t understand about feminism or gender equality is the fact that while it is about women and should focus on women, it must also involve men. I believe you can’t have this conversation without including them as well considering the fact that their support towards this cause is just as important as women’s participation and inclusion in it. So I personally tend to be pretty elated when I see a man taking part in this conversation and acknowledging the problems with gender inequality. Hence, when CJI N.V. Ramana spoke about the issues of gender inequality and patriarchy within society, I was glad.
CJI Ramana spoke about the inequalities within the legal profession. He said that he was completely aware of the type of prejudices women face in Indian society and all the inequalities in the legal field. CJI Ramana also spoke about the fact that the patriarchy within our society is what has led to the underrepresentation of women in our judiciary. “There are numerous factors behind the under-representation of women in the judiciary. The primary reason is the deeply ingrained patriarchy in our society. Women often have to face a hostile atmosphere within the courtrooms. Harassment, lack of respect from members of the Bar and Bench, the silencing of their opinions, are some of the other traumatic experiences often recounted by many women lawyers. Resultantly, out of nearly 17 lakhs advocates registered in the country, only 15% are women,” said CJI Ramana according to Times Now.
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CJI however said that he is taking steps to correct this gender disparity. He plans to increase the number of female judges in the judiciary. He said that they have recommended 192 candidates out of which, 37 which is about 19% will be women. He further added that it is unfortunate that only 17 out of the 37 women that were recommended to the high court have been appointed. Many are still pending within the government. However a lot of female law graduates are forced to give up their careers and ambitions due to societal expectations, said CJI Raman. He then emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that encourages and enables women to pursue their careers in law. He acknowledges how difficult it is for women to balance their personal and professional lives and that they might excel as students but their domestic responsibilities stop them from pursuing a career or their passion.
CJI Ramana said that this is where family and fellow members of the bar and the bench come in a need to provide the necessary encouragement. He then said that women are natural multitaskers and hence are bound to succeed in any profession. He then concluded, “Hence, women should be given preference while making appointments as panel advocates which will pave their path to the bench.”
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CJI Ramana took this opportunity to credit the women that have enriched his life as well. He said that he is the youngest brother to two sisters. He credited his mother saying that not only did she highly educate him but also taught him invaluable life lessons. He said that his wife has been a great support system and guided him for almost four decades. CJI Ramana said that he is a proud father of two daughters and bringing them up was a great learning experience for him. He then said that all of these women in his life have deeply influenced the way he thinks and acts.
