‘NEED WORTHY WOMEN AT THE TOP’

women lawyers agree that the number of women coming in to the legal practices has increased over the years, the numbers at the top remain few. “The gender dynamics operating in the legal profession echo societal relations,” says advocate Vrinda Grover.

Pointing at the disproportionate ratio of women judges vis-a-vis male judges, she says, “The Delhi High Court perhaps has a higher number of women judges in comparison to other high courts, but they are still less than 50 per cent on the bench. Yet, in the legal fraternity in conversations on appointments of new judges, it is commonly remarked that there are already many women judges in the Delhi High Court. It is never said that there are minds the norm is that a judge will be a man, ” says Grover.

The advocate, who has often been associated with cases of rights violations says, “A concern that the Supreme Court Collegium needs to address is to rid itself of the charge of being an all boys club by having a fair representation of women in the judiciary and perspectives that respect equality.”

Adds Nundy “Sometimes women self select out of the system by not applying, regardless, I do think there needs to be active outreach to seek worthy women represented at the top of the bar and on the bench. Maybe if the courts set a goal to have women in 50 per cent of positions on the bench, we will reach a more equita-