Justice for all: Women lawyers demand greater participation

In a first, female lawyers in Pakistan are demanding an “urgent change” and an immediate end to discrimination in the legal profession across the country.

The organization, Women in Law, released a press statement on Tuesday, highlighting how “deeply disturbing” it was for upper echelons of the bar and the judiciary to have few or no women representation.

“The Pakistan Bar Council, the apex statutory body regulating the legal profession, has yet to elect a female member,” read the statement, adding that a woman has not, to date, been appointed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its 73 years of history.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) is the main regulating body for the legal profession and legal education of lawyers in the country.

There has never been any female representation in the PBC, noted the Women in Law. “Likewise, women’s representation in the provincial bar councils has also been unacceptably low,” said the statement. “The current data shows that women make up only 3% of the members of the provincial bar councils” and these councils do not adequately reflect female voices.

Before the elections of the bar councils in November, the Women in Law Pakistan, Women Lawyers Association, Women's Action Forum and the Aurat March Lahore have set down a list of demands, which include, fair representation of women in the legal profession, harassment-free workplaces and a voting process which encourages maximum participation of female voters.