The first woman judge from the Bar (practising advocates) has been appointed in Rajasthan High Court. It took about 75 years after independence to get equality in a particular respect for a woman to become a judge in Rajasthan High Court. We wish Justice Rekha Borana a successful tenure, enabling more women to assume the respectable position in Constitutional Courts.
The preparation for the representation of women judges, both from the Bench and the Bar is varying differently in the States. Among them Madras High Court is signified with the presence of 14 women judges (hailing from both Bench and Bar) out of the total judge strength of 57 judges. The highest representation of women in the judiciary of Tamil Nadu has not happened suddenly.
The need for women representation in services was resolved in 1929, in the First Madras Provincial Self Respect Conference, organized by the social revolutionary Periyar and held in Chengalpet.
The resolution passed in the conference has been consistently and continuously implemented by various ministries in pre and post independence periods. This was possible by the awakening created among people for social equality for women, who were limited to ‘Kitchen Kingdom’ and ridiculed ‘child bearing machines’.
The latest news is that the numerical strength of women judges in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has risen to EIGHT out of the total judges of 24.
In Tamil Nadu, not only in judiciary, but also in other services, particularly in police department, women are recruited in large numbers. All women police station is a matter of pride. The advocacy of Periyar, that women liberation and empowerment will be effective and meaningful only if it is fought for by women, without depending on men, has been proved true.
Periyar’s vision is getting realized, more so in the judiciary of Tamil Nadu.
