"Women Will Always Be Greater": SCBA Survey Lays Bare Gender Struggles at the Indian Bar

In a poignant revelation that underscores enduring inequities in India's legal fraternity, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) unveiled its landmark National Survey: Documenting Voices of Women Legal Professionals in India on March 22, 2025, at the first SCBA conference in Bengaluru. Released by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, the report—based on responses from 2,604 women advocates across 23 State Bar Councils—paints a sobering picture: 81.3% believe their professional journey is harder than their male counterparts' , with 41.1% calling it "much harder." This holds steady across career stages, from juniors to seniors with over 15 years' experience.

The survey, co-authored by Senior Advocate Dr. Anindita Pujari and Advocate Shaileshwar Yadav, builds on a Delhi-NCR pilot and amplifies voices long sidelined in a male-dominated profession tracing back to the Legal Practitioners (Women) Act, 1923.

Corridors of Exclusion: The Demographic Reality

Women lawyers emerge as trailblazers without a roadmap: 83.1% are first-generation professionals , lacking inherited networks in a field where chambers and briefs flow through family ties. Over half (52.9%) toil in district courts, 58.2% as sole practitioners sans firm infrastructure, and just 0.4% hold Senior Advocate status at the Supreme Court. Relocation patterns sting—45% moved cities, half due to marriage or family, often sidelining career ambitions.

Infrastructure gaps compound isolation: Only 19% have offices walkable from court, with high rents (45.4%) and financial unviability (37.5%) as top barriers. Resource scarcity is rife—75% lack paid databases, 77% clerical staff, and 21% have no professional tools. Yet, technology offers a silver lining: 65.3% report e-courts positively leveling the field .

Bias in the Briefs: Harassment, Networking, and Horizontal Hostility

Gender bias infiltrates every layer. 34.4% personally experienced institutional discrimination , from fee negotiations (42.7%) to client distrust (32.8%). Sexual harassment shadows 16.1%—with 12.7% opting not to disclose—while 57% of reporters faced backlash , like work exclusion or peer retaliation. Alarmingly, ~45% witnessed "horizontal hostility," where women gatekeep against peers amid scarce opportunities.

Networking, the lifeblood of briefs and panels, eludes 72.3% due to gender—night travel or hotel stays pose safety risks. Government panels? 55.5% say easier for men; zero respondents served as AG/SG/ASG at the Supreme Court. 63.7% found the profession discouraging at points , a sentiment unchanging with seniority.

Motherhood's Heavy Toll and the Burnout Epidemic

Marriage and family exact a steep price: 71.5% report professional impacts , from work-life strain (30.1%) to denied childcare (42.7% of seekers). Over half (55.2%) struggled for matter deferrals post-childbirth. Burnout ravages 84% , spiking to 94.4% among early-career lawyers—signaling attrition risks.

Career advice reveals internalized caution: 47.5% steer daughters toward the judiciary for its stability over Bar hierarchies. Aspirations skew institutional—37% eye law officer roles, 34.5% judiciary—yet 77.5% eye Bar leadership if barriers lift.

Echoes from the Top: Messages That Resonate

SCBA President Vikas Singh set a defiant tone: > "There is a fundamental truth we must be brave enough to say: men and women can never be equal because women will always be greater... It is time for the institution to evolve."

Hony. Secretary Pragya Baghel invoked Justice M. Fathima Beevi: > "Despite decades of progress, gender disparity continues to persist... What is needed is an enabling ecosystem that allows them to thrive."

Authors noted the survey's audacity: > "What came back... was the sheer weight of a shared experience... When data speaks, change follows—one step at a time."

Reform Roadmap: From Data to Action

Thematic analysis of 2,535 open responses ranks priorities: (1) equal access to briefs, (2) reservations in panels/judiciary/leadership, (3) structured mentorship, (4) early-career stipends, (5) maternity returnships. Overwhelming support— 80.5% for women judge quotas , 67% mandatory panel policies , 89.8% returnships .

Key takeaways urge Bar bodies for term limits (77.3% backing), functional POSH committees, creches, and transparent empanelments. Courts should eye flexible scheduling and gender data. Despite 50.9% satisfaction, the profession's soul demands evolution—lest talent flees to judiciary or beyond.

This report isn't mere statistics; it's a clarion call. As SCBA Chairperson Dr. Monika Gusain urges: "Give wings to your dreams & let your dreams fly." With CJI's release, the Bar stands at a crossroads—will it adapt, or continue demanding women bend?