Female lawyers struggle against the status quo in India

Of 397 lawyers designated as Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India since 1962, just 5 are women - according to a new report on the challenges faced by female lawyers in India. The report, prepared by legal consultants Swagata Raha and Sonal Makhija, surveyed 81 women lawyers working in Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore. Some of the responses could be misleading, and reflect the reluctance of many of the participants to be critical of work environments in this kind of forum for fear of the consequences. For example, more than 60 per cent of the women lawyers stated that their employers were understanding about the needs of a working mother,  but their responses on specifics reveal a different picture altogether. 53 per cent rated their employers as average and below in instituting measures to promote work-life balance. 48 per cent  rated their organisations’ openness to offer flexibility and work from home options without any penalisation as being average or fair or poor.  

Female lawyers struggle against the status quo in India barandbench.com Tue, Aug 14, 2012