Chief Justice NV Ramana said that women in the judiciary should have a 50% reservation. He also backed the demand for a similar reservation in law colleges in India. The Justice told women, "It is your right, and you are entitled to demand reservation."
He was addressing the women advocates of the Supreme Court at a felicitation ceremony for him and the nine newly appointed judges.
He added that the lower levels of the judiciary have less than 30% of women judges. The rate is 11.5% in High Courts. In the Supreme Court, only 11-12% are women. Of 1.7 million advocates in the country, only 15% are women. It is an issue of thousands of years of oppression, he added.
He pointed out that only 2% of elected representatives in the state bar councils are women. Furthermore, the Bar Council of India National Committee does not have even a single woman representative.
CJI NV Ramana had raised the same issue at another event this month. He had said, "After 75 years of Independence, (I) expect at least 50% representation for women at all levels. With great difficulty, we have now achieved 11% in the Supreme Court." However, there have only been eight women Supreme Court judges in over 70 years.
He modified Karl Marx's words and said, "Women of the World unite. You have nothing to lose, but your chains." He added that the issues in the system need urgent correction. Justice BV Nagarathna, who was among three women sworn in as judges of the top court on September 1, highlighted and appreciated his words, reported NDTV.
Justice Nagarathna said that advancing women's participation in the judiciary also promoted gender equality in other areas. She stated that female judicial appointments, particularly at senior levels, can shift gender stereotypes, thereby changing attitudes and perceptions as to appropriate roles of men and women.
"Women's visibility as judicial officers can also pave the way for greater representation in other decision-making positions, such as legislative and executive branches of the government," she added.
She also asked women advocates to strive to do better. "I think the time has come to break the glass ceiling and for women to strive ahead."