Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Thursday called for special reservation benefits for girl students in legal education to ensure 50 per cent of the judges in the country are women.

There is no quota for women in the judiciary or legal education.

Speaking at an International Women’s Day event here, the CJI also lamented that though the collegium had recommended 37 women for judgeship in various high courts, the Centre has so far cleared only 17 names.

“The issues confronting women are no longer private affairs of women. One of the marks of a progressive nation is the condition of female population. Women too are stakeholders in this system and they must become a substantial part of it. Most importantly, the injustices faced by women are compounded by intersectional issues of socio-economic conditions. Therefore, we need women from all classes and sections to find a place within the judicial system. The dream of fair and equitable society will come true when women from all backgrounds will have a say,” Justice Ramana said.

The CJI said every woman’s struggle and experience is unique to herself. Growth in jurisprudence will occur only when our Bar and Benches have diverse voices. Diversity of experience brings in diversity in opinions, he said.

“We are definitely in need of more women judges from rural background. The atrocities faced by rural women or women from marginalised communities are often under reported and go unnoticed by many. The district judiciary being the first point of contact, it needs to be sensitive to the needs of women and children. There is much to be done,” he said.

The recognition of March 10 as International Day of Women Judges is an important step to create awareness and mobilise political will. “I am a strong proponent of affirmative action. To enrich the pool of talent, I strongly propose reservation for girls in legal education,” the CJI said.

The data proves such a provision has yielded encouraging results in appointing women judicial officers at the district level. Telangana with 52 per cent, Assam with 46 per cent, Andhra Pradesh with 45 per cent, Odisha with 42 per cent and Rajasthan with 40 per cent women among judicial officers have done well with reservation for women. I strongly feel that the policy of providing reservation to women needs to be replicated at all levels and in all the states,” Justice Ramana said.

The CJI pointed out that presently the Supreme Court has four women judges, which is the highest ever in its history and one of them Justice B. Nagarrathna will eventually become the Chief Justice of India.

“But, I think, we are still far away from ensuring at least 50 per cent representation of women in our judiciary. The legal profession still remains male dominated,” Justice Ramana said.