Gender Equality: Essential, Inspiring Path, says CJI
Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai on Tuesday underscored a simple but transformative truth: Gender Equality is not a slogan but a shared responsibility—and a moral and institutional imperative. Issuing a clear call to action, the CJI urged men in positions of power to share authority, open doors, and help dismantle the structural barriers that limit women’s full participation in public life, workplaces, and the justice system. His message, at once practical and inspiring, framed Gender Equality as an “essential, inspiring path”—one that strengthens institutions, expands opportunity, and deepens democracy.
The CJI’s remarks are timely. While India has made notable progress—from rising female enrollment in higher education to women’s historic gains in public service and law—structural gaps persist. Women remain underrepresented across senior leadership roles, face disproportionate care burdens, and confront challenges ranging from biased hiring practices to uneven access to justice. Against this backdrop, the CJI’s appeal is both a policy guide and a cultural signal: progress requires deliberate collaboration and a redistribution of power.
A call beyond symbolism: sharing institutional power
The Chief Justice pointed to a foundational reality: Gender Equality cannot be achieved merely through rhetoric or symbolic gestures. Meaningful change requires sharing real authority and ensuring women’s leadership is visible, substantive, and sustained. This includes appointing women to decision-making roles across courts, bar associations, corporate boards, public institutions, and civil society organizations. It also demands a clear-eyed review of internal processes—recruitment, promotions, case allocation, and committee assignments—to eliminate both explicit and implicit bias.
Crucially, the CJI highlighted the responsibility of men in influential positions. Their choices—who gets mentored, who is given high-visibility assignments, who sits at the table where decisions are made—shape the institutional pipeline. The message: allyship must translate into action.
Gender Equality in the justice system: an institutional agenda
The judiciary, like every sector, faces its own questions on Gender Equality. The CJI’s intervention opens pathways for reforms that can strengthen both fairness and public trust. These include:
– Expanding women’s representation at every judicial level and in leadership committees.
– Institutionalizing gender-sensitization training for judges, lawyers, and court staff.
– Ensuring court infrastructure—restrooms, creches, secure transit—supports women professionals.
– Promoting transparent processes for appointments and assignments to reduce structural bias.
– Prioritizing swift, victim-centric approaches in cases involving gender-based violence.
Such measures are not about special treatment. They reflect a commitment to equal opportunity, safer workplaces, and better justice delivery—principles that benefit all.
Gender Equality as smart economics and stronger democracy
The CJI’s framing of Gender Equality as an inspiring path underscores its broad societal dividends. Economists have long shown that when women participate fully in the economy, GDP rises and households prosper. When women lead, institutions diversify their perspectives and reduce blind spots—improving governance outcomes from boardrooms to courtrooms. And when girls and women experience safety, dignity, and opportunity, communities become more resilient, prosperous, and cohesive. Equality is neither a concession nor a zero-sum deal; it is a multiplier.
Breaking barriers: the role of policy and culture
Policy can open doors—but culture decides who walks through them. The CJI’s appeal thus straddles both realms. On the policy side, governments and institutions can:
– Enforce anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies robustly.
– Incentivize flexible work models and parental leave that normalize caregiving for all genders.
– Invest in skill-building, mentorship, and leadership pipelines for women.
– Improve data transparency to track progress and accountability.
Culturally, workplaces must move beyond tokenism. Inclusion means respecting voice, protecting dissent, and ensuring equity in pay, progression, and recognition. It also means rebalancing invisible labor—care work at home and emotional labor at work—so that career progression does not become a penalty for caregiving.
A shared mission: leadership from the top, momentum from the ground
The CJI’s message aligns with a growing, cross-generational movement for fairness. Student bodies, bar associations, corporate leadership programs, and civil society groups are already pushing for reforms—from equitable hiring to safer campuses to greater representation in leadership. The judiciary’s moral clarity can amplify and accelerate this momentum.
Leaders across sectors can take immediate steps:
– Audit gender composition in leadership and create time-bound targets.
– Publicly report progress on representation and pay equity.
– Institutionalize mentorship and sponsorship programs for women.
– Ensure grievance redressal mechanisms are trustworthy, swift, and protective of dignity.
Subheading: Gender Equality is an institutional imperative—not a distant ideal
The CJI’s intervention reminds us that justice must be visible to be believed. When women see themselves represented at the highest levels—in courts, cabinets, companies, and communities—it signals that the system recognizes their agency and invests in their leadership. This visibility inspires the next generation and builds a durable culture of equality.
The path forward
If Gender Equality is to be an essential, inspiring path, as the CJI argues, then progress must be intentional and collaborative. It requires redistributing power, reforming systems, and measuring outcomes—not just intentions. It needs allyship that shows up in decisions, budgets, and appointments. And it demands that we recognize equality not as a special interest but as the foundation of a thriving democracy and a competent state.
The CJI’s call is clear: men in power must use their influence to make room, share authority, and help remove barriers. Institutions must normalize fairness as everyday practice. And society must affirm that dignity, opportunity, and safety are non-negotiable. Gender Equality is not only essential to justice—it is the most inspiring path to a stronger India.
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