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Source: The post women in India’s justice system has been created, based on the article “Can a justice system without women bring justice to women?” published in “Indian express” on 8th March 2024.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 1-Society-Role of women and women’s organization.
News: The article discusses the low number of women in India’s justice system, including police, judiciary, and prisons. It highlights the gender gap, lack of women in high positions, and institutional biases against women, emphasizing the need for more gender diversity.
What is the current state of women in India’s justice system?
Low Female Representation: The India Justice Report indicates only about 300,000 women in the justice delivery system, highlighting a wide gender gap.
Judiciary Disparity: Women hold 35% of subordinate judiciary roles, drop to 13% in high courts, and there are only three women judges in the Supreme Court.
Lack of Leadership Roles: No woman has ever been the Chief Justice of India, and only 16 women have served as chief justices in high courts in over 70 years.
Human Rights Commissions’ Gender Gap: As of 2022, only six commissions had female members or secretaries, with no women chairpersons.
Policing and Prison Administration: Women constitute about 12% of police personnel and 14% in prison administration, mainly in lower ranks.
Why is it important to reduce the gender gap in India?
- The absence of a female Chief Justice of India and few women in high court chief justice’s positions limits women’s influence in judiciary leadership.
- The minimal presence of women in human rights commissions could lead to insufficient attention to gender-specific issues.
3.With low representation in police and prison administration, there’s a risk of gender biases affecting law enforcement and prison management.
4.The overall low representation of women implies an institutional bias, potentially impacting justice delivery and equality within the system.
What should be done?
Promote Women to Leadership Roles: Encourage more women to take up roles like Chief Justice of India and high court chief justices, going beyond the current limited history of 16 women chief justices in over 70 years.
Address Systemic Biases: Tackle institutional biases that hinder women’s advancement, learning from the exceptions of successful women like Justice Ruma Pal and Kiran Bedi.
Empower Women in Policing and Prisons: Increase the percentage of women in police and prison administration beyond the current 12% and 14%, respectively, to ensure a balanced and inclusive approach in these sectors.
Implement Supportive Policies: Develop and enforce policies that support gender equality and address the specific needs and challenges faced by women in the justice system.
Question for practice:
Examine the current state of gender representation in India’s justice system and the importance of reducing the gender gap?
