Breaking through the Old Boys’ Club
The Rise of Women in the Lower Judiciary
While there is some empirical work on the state of gender diversity in the higher judiciary in India, academic work on this topic in the context of the lower judiciary is sparse. A data-driven analysis of the trends of women’s entry into the lower judiciary between 2007 and 2017, across multiple states at two levels (civil judge [junior division] and district judge [direct recruitment from the bar]), points to a direct relationship between methods of recruitment and women’s representation in the judiciary. At the same time, this data helps identify barriers that frustrate the goal of improved gender representation.
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About the Authors
Diksha was a Research Fellow at Vidhi.
Shreya is a Senior Resident Fellow with the Justice, Access and Lowering Delays Initiative (JALDI). She is currently working on topics such as diversity, infrastructure and efficient budgeting in the judiciary. Her areas of interest include Human Rights & Judicial Reforms. She has publications in the Economic and Political Weekly and other law & policy review journals. She has also published in the Outlook and platforms such as Hindustan Times and The Print. She graduated with B.B.A.LL.B. from National Law University, Odisha in 2018. Prior to joining Vidhi, she has interned in organizations like Nyaaya, CHRI, SAHRDC and PLD.
Tarika was a Senior Resident Fellow with the Health Team at Vidhi. She has also previously worked with the JALDI initiative and the Climate & Ecosystems Team, where she researched on efficiency, accountability and transparency in the judiciary with an empirical lens. She has written for leading journals and newspapers like Economic and Political Weekly, the Economic Times and the Indian Express. Tarika graduated from Gujarat National Law University with B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) in 2017 and has completed her postgraduate studies in Public Policy from University College London in 2021. She enjoys anime and rock music.
