Sexual harassment in the workplace can undermine a woman’s freedom and her ability to earn a livelihood, a vulnerability heightened by the lack of gender parity in India’s judiciary. In Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Indian Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL) has launched a powerful campaign, demanding a 50% reservation for women in the higher judiciary. Raised at a recent city forum, this initiative calls for transparent selection methods, including written exams and viva voce, to ensure merit-based appointments and break the cycle of exclusion.
Women currently hold only 14.42% of High Court judgeships and a mere 6% of Supreme Court seats, reflecting a system skewed by opaque, network-driven processes. The IFWL also pushes for 50% representation of women advocates on statutory bodies and government panels, challenging the patriarchal norms that dominate legal institutions.
This bold proposal ignites debate—supporters hail it as a step toward equitable justice, while skeptics question whether quotas can erase deep-rooted biases without additional reforms like training. The Bengaluru movement, though ambitious, presses for a judiciary that mirrors India’s diversity, empowering women to reshape a system that often silences them.
