Sun Mar 23 16:04:48 UTC 2025: ## Bengaluru Consultation Calls for Gender Equality in Indian Judiciary
**Bengaluru, March 23, 2025** – A national consultation held in Bengaluru this weekend highlighted the stark underrepresentation of women in India’s higher judiciary. Organized by the Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR), the event, titled “Equal Justice: Securing Equal Inclusion of Women in the Higher Judiciary,” brought together retired judges, legal professionals, and civil society representatives.
The consultation underscored the urgent need for transparent judicial appointments and systemic reforms to achieve gender equality. Currently, women constitute a mere 14.42% of High Court judges and a paltry 6% of Supreme Court judges – only two out of 33 justices. This alarming statistic, coupled with the historical fact that only 11 out of 279 Supreme Court judges have been women, prompted calls for immediate action. While Justice B.V. Nagarathna is set to become the first woman Chief Justice in 2027, her tenure will be brief, lasting only 36 days.
The consultation focused on the multifaceted challenges faced by women, particularly those from marginalized communities, in ascending to judicial leadership. Participants discussed the crucial role of bar associations in promoting gender diversity and implementing mentoring programs to support women in the legal field. Prashanth Kumar, president of the Bar Association of India, pledged to ensure that half of the association’s state secretaries are women, leveraging mentoring programs and pushing for institutional reforms.
The CLPR aims to leverage this consultation to catalyze legal and institutional changes that will significantly increase women’s representation and leadership within the Indian judiciary.
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