Jahanvi Agarwal
Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court stated on Saturday i.e., 5th August 2023 that the environment in the legal profession is such that women still have to go above and beyond to prove themselves.
When giving the opening speech during a celebration for Lady Lawyers Day hosted by the Ladies Group of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF).
Justice Singh made the remarked that:
“The environment in the legal profession is that women have to give 120% to prove themselves. It is not enough to do 100%… In negotiations, women tend to be shouted down more easily. I am sure corporate firms could fix this. (With) Judges as well as opposing lawyers – there are three kinds of treatment you could get in courts. One is very very encouraging treatment; one is patronising treatment and the other is chauvinistic treatment. But we face all of this with a smile.”
A woman may succeed in her work if she is competent and has integrity, she said, despite the fact that it is easy to stereotype women and that occasionally women obstruct their own growth she said.
The sitting High Court judge acknowledged in her remarks the achievements of outstanding men who had paved the road for the advancement of women attorneys in India.
The judge also expressed their concern about the inadequate representation of women in governance, the legal profession, and fields like education and research. She referenced a WIPO report that said that fewer than 3-4% of patents are filed by women and claimed that ideas by female inventors sometimes go undetected.
She further stated that, “It is also known that the Nobel Committee disregards women when it comes to the Nobel Prize.”
She continued by pointing out that, according to a Lok Sabha response from 2022, there are just 15% of women practising law nationwide- “Even today women lawyers struggle to practice in courts except in the major metros. There are insufficient facilities for women in most courts in the country. The recent incident of a district court complex getting a washroom only after the intervention of the Supreme Court is a case in point.”
She advised women advocates to embrace technology, highlight their accomplishments, and seek assistance with domestic or menial jobs without feeling guilty as she concluded her speech.
Senior Advocate Fali Nariman delivered a special speech at the event.
A Panel Discussion on “Do women need empowerment?” was also held after the inauguration event, which was initiated by Zia Mody, Managing Partner of AZB and Chairperson of the SILF Ladies Group.
Dr. Lalit Bhasin, President of SILF, gave the presidential address at the event and announced intentions to institutionalise and annually recognise Lady Lawyers Day.
“I think there is a big responsibility on the ladies group to take up issues and fight for your rights in a legitimate, legal manner.”, he said.
On the occasion, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, also delivered a message. The Secretary of SILF, Rohit Kochhar, emphasised at the Welcome Address that empowering women is about mobilising the strength of our shared humanity so that every person, regardless of gender, is a force for human rights.
Nina Gupta served as the event’s host and is a member of the Supreme Court Gender Sensitization Committee.
The inaugural session’s closing remarks were delivered by Jyoti Sagar, an associate president of SILF, while Manisha Singh, managing partner of Lex Orbis, offered the vote of thanks.