In lower courts in 17 states/UTs, less than a third of judges are women

The inclusion of women in the judiciary enables courts to understand the real-world implications of their rulings, and reduces barriers to women's access to justice

Fewer than one-third of judges in the lower judiciary–district courts and below–in 17 of 34 states and union territories in India are female, according to a February 2018 analysis by the New Delhi-based legal think tank, Vidhi Center For Legal Policy.

Women comprise 48.5% of the general population, and the domination of men in the lower judiciary, the frontline of the judicial system, might reduce courts’ legitimacy as representative of the societies they serve.

The inclusion of women in the judiciary enables courts to understand the real-world implications of their rulings, and reduces