that females were not capable of pleading before any court, much less the High courts, it was only after the enactment of Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, XXIII of 1923 that women lawyers started practicing as a matter of right. But not all laws are easily accepted by society. Hence even though women acquired the legal right to practice, they still have a long way to go before they are also accepted by society. There are numerous challenges which they face on a regular basis whether they are shaping themselves or actually practicing as lawyers.
Alice Paul, the famous social reformer has rightly said: “The world will never be complete until women are a part of it.”
Law too, as a field, is incomplete until it is adequately represented by women. Today, opportunities for women in this field have increased and hence their participation in the profession too, has gone up, challenging the stereotypical thinking that this was something only men could do. Now the current era perpetuates equality and not discrimination on the basis of gender. Women have proved their efficiency and expertise in this

Justice Leila Seth

profession and deserve the fruits of their labour. The number of female law aspirants has gone up remarkably. The gender ratio in law universities has also become much better and in favour of females. Some of the leading law firms in India have also embraced gender equality across the board.
On the downside there are cases of gender bias that are faced by women in this profession. One such example was given by Justice Leila Seth (the first woman Chief Justice of a State in India).
“When I asked a question, my brother judge told the male lawyers that they should address me as ‘My Lady’. Instead, they thought the easiest way out was to say, ‘My Lord’ and look at the male judge, as

Bhavan's Journal,May 15, 2022∎ 53