Related facts:
According to the Supreme Court’s State of the Judiciary report (2023)-
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- 3% in the Supreme Court
- 4% in High Courts
- 3% of the district judiciary
Reasons behind gender imbalance:
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- Patriarchal Work Culture (Justice Hima Kohli– unconscious gender biases in courts often sideline women in administrative duties)
- Dual burden due to social expectations
- Women law graduates from premier institutions prefer corporate sector jobs
- Dominance of collegium system
- Lack of Supportive Infrastructure such as dedicated washrooms, feeding rooms, and crèches.
Way forward:
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- Create gender-sensitive policies for engendering of Judiciary.
- Elevation of women from lower to higher courts.
- CJI Ramanna advocated for 50% reservation for women in judiciary.
- Comprehensive and well defined criteria to ensure women representation.
