Breaking Barriers: Women Lawyers in India Confront Gender Bias

Despite overt progress in gender equality, women lawyers in India continue to face discrimination. Justice Hima Kohli highlights stereotypes, limited opportunities, and lack of representation as persistent issues. Collective societal efforts are necessary to foster an environment promoting equal opportunities in the legal profession.

Despite apparent progress in gender equality, former Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli indicates that women lawyers in India still suffer from ingrained biases. At a recent event commemorating '100 years of women in law', Justice Kohli highlighted that no woman had ever held the position of Attorney General or Solicitor General.

Justice Kohli revealed how stereotypes undermine the authority of female lawyers, with biases affecting hiring practices and advancement opportunities. While the representation of women in higher legal positions has seen a slight increase, their presence remains minimal in various courts across states, failing to reflect the overall lawyer demographics.

To address these ingrained biases, Justice Kohli advocates for increased awareness through workshops, debates, and training. She emphasizes the importance of policy changes and equal pay legislation to support women's progress in the legal sector, calling for collective societal efforts to dismantle existing barriers.

(With inputs from agencies.)