At least 30% Law Officers representing centre, state Govts must be women: Justice Nagarathna

Mumbai: Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna on Saturday hailed the reservation for women in gram panchayats and asserted that at least 30 per cent of law officers representing the Union and state governments must be women.Justice Nagarathna called for the elevation of competent women advocates as high court judges in order to have greater diversity on the bench.If male advocates under 45 years can be appointed to HCs, then why not competent women counterparts, the apex court judge questioned while addressing a seminar on ‘Breaking Glass Ceiling: Women Who Made It’ organized here by Mumbai University.

“To successfully break the glass ceiling, we must not let girls and women of tomorrow be conditioned to the anachronistic lens of gender-roles and virtues. There is no virtue for success that is exclusive to men and lacks in women,” she said while pointing out that younger women lack role models and mentors to inspire, encourage and help them to navigate through and succeed in the legal profession.“It is vital that we recognise the importance of women who shattered the glass ceiling and to follow on their path. At the same time, we must remember women who may not have made headlines through high-profile achievements but whose contributions are just as significant and left an imprint on the lives of those around them,” she said.

The lives of ordinary women whose primary roles are as mothers, wives and care-givers must also be recognised, the judge said.“Their importance is not always visible but in many ways, these are the women who hold the fort for their family members to conquer the world outside. Raising children and managing households also requires a great deal of leadership, intellectual ability, and creativity,” she stated.Justice Nagarathna said political representation of women in India’s interiors paints a positive picture with reservation for women in panchayati raj institutions resulting in 1.4 million elected representatives, which is bound to imbue gender sensitiveness in policymaking.

She, however, pointed out that though a law has been enacted to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament, it is yet to come into effect.“Even as of 2024, women held only 14 per cent of Lok Sabha seats and 15 per cent in Rajya Sabha. They occupied less than 7 per cent of ministerial positions. The benefits of women in positions of power percolate to the commercial sphere as well,” the apex court judge said.Asserting that the judiciary needs to be sensitive, independent and free from biases at every level, she said while the number of women graduates from leading law schools and universities who are working at junior levels is nearly equal to their male counterparts, it does not translate to equal representation at the workplace or later at higher positions.

“Their upward mobility is hampered by systemic discrimination. Gender diversity is particularly crucial in the professions serving society, where the presence of women plays a critical role in upholding the ideal of equality and fairness especially amongst disadvantaged groups. As far as the legal profession is concerned, at least 30 per cent of law officers representing the Central or state governments must be women,” Justice Nagarathna said.At least 30 per cent of all those empanelled as legal advisors in public sector units as well as in state instrumentalities and agencies must be women, the judge further said.