In judiciary: ‘Under-representation of women must be addressed’
Only one woman SCBA president since 1947
PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
LAHORE:
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday stressed the urgent need for addressing the under-representation of women in the higher judiciary.
As part of the commission’s media campaign ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8), the HRCP drew attention towards women’s under-representation in the nation’s legal profession, particularly in the superior judiciary. It noted that only 5.8% of high court judges in the nation were women, and to date, no woman has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court or as chief justice of any of the high courts.
Women also remained under-represented in positions of status and influence across others fields of the legal profession, including offices of bar associations and the office of the attorney general. Since 1947, there had been only one woman president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). These numbers were the lowest in the region, if not the world over, the commission said.
The HRCP said women continued to experience significant discrimination in relation to participation in public and political life in most domains of the public sphere.
The reasons for the under-representation of women in power and decision-making were multifaceted and complex, the HRCP said. The commission said the reasons were rooted in economic, social and cultural issues, as well as negative stereotypes about women and entrenched gender roles.
The HRCP urged the government to fulfil the nation’s obligations to address barriers to women’s full and active participation in the public sphere and advance women’s equality and effective representation in the legal profession, particularly in the judiciary.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2016.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday stressed the urgent need for addressing the under-representation of women in the higher judiciary.
As part of the commission’s media campaign ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8), the HRCP drew attention towards women’s under-representation in the nation’s legal profession, particularly in the superior judiciary. It noted that only 5.8% of high court judges in the nation were women, and to date, no woman has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court or as chief justice of any of the high courts.
Women also remained under-represented in positions of status and influence across others fields of the legal profession, including offices of bar associations and the office of the attorney general. Since 1947, there had been only one woman president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). These numbers were the lowest in the region, if not the world over, the commission said.
The HRCP said women continued to experience significant discrimination in relation to participation in public and political life in most domains of the public sphere.
The reasons for the under-representation of women in power and decision-making were multifaceted and complex, the HRCP said. The commission said the reasons were rooted in economic, social and cultural issues, as well as negative stereotypes about women and entrenched gender roles.
The HRCP urged the government to fulfil the nation’s obligations to address barriers to women’s full and active participation in the public sphere and advance women’s equality and effective representation in the legal profession, particularly in the judiciary.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2016.