Equal Opportunities for Women Must Be Ensured as India Has No Dearth of Young, Talented Women Lawyers

By: Rachita Sharma, Managing Editor | Monday, 15 May 2023

The Indian legal landscape continues to be a male dominate industry. According to data presented by the Law ministry in Parliament in July 2022, only 15.3 percent of lawyers in India are women.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also highlighted this phenomenon recently while speaking at an event in Chennai where he said that the women-to-men ratio in the legal profession is 'abysmal'. The Chief Justice of India said that recruiting chambers are still sceptical about hiring women owing to lost existing gender-stereotypes.

He said, "Statistics inform us that for 50,000 male enrolments in Tamil Nadu, there are only 5,000 female enrolments." "The legal profession is not an equal-opportunity provider for women, and the statistics are the same all over the country", he said. CJ DY Chandrachud reiterated that the legal industry in Indian must ensure equal opportunities for women, asserting that there was no dearth of young, talented women lawyers.

We at Women Entrepreneur India agree wholeheartedly. There is no earth of exceptionally talented women lawyers in India. The current edition of WE introduces you to a few such names.

In this issue meet Arpita Duarah, Legal Head. Having a graduate degree in Economics and pursued LLB from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, Arpita has expertise in multiple areas of Law and in her current role she gives legal and regulatory advice to the Management.

Next up we have Shreya Shankar, Head of Legal & Compliance. Shreya began her professional career with ICICI Bank Limited in its Corporate Legal Group, where she gained extensive experience in banking & finance law, and worked as the State Legal Head for Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Later, she joined Agents for Impact in mid-2020 to gain more experience in international financial law.

Sharmila K R. Head Legal, Cornerstone Properties is the next name on our list. Committed and results-driven senior legal professional, Sharmila is a dynamic and proactive leader spearheading large-valued, diverse & prestigious projects successfully. While also holding an excellent understanding of the finer legal nuances in anticipation.

The next legal prodigy is Aashika Jain, Chief Legal Officer, EBIXCASH. Armed with BBA LLB from Amity University Noida and a Master’s in Business & Corporate Law from Symbiosis International University, Aashika is a seasoned legal professional who also holds Risk Management certification from BSI and Contract Drafting & Negotiation certification from LAWOCTOPUS.

Bharati Balaji, Director-Legal & Compliance, Indian Sugar Mills Association is another illustrious leader who is part of our current edition. After completing her B.Com and LLB, Bharati Balaji began her practice as Intern and then Litigation Lawyer at the Supreme Court of India, under the guidance of Senior Counsel P.S. Narasimha. Bharati, has worked with various corporate houses and has specialized in corporate law, litigation, policy making, and regulatory compliance. Currently, she serves as the Director- Legal & Compliance at the Indian Sugar Mills Association.

These stellar women are joined by Krishna Panda, the Head-Legal and Company Secretary at Runaya. She has 10 years of experience. Well-versed with SEBI compliance, Companies Act, Litigation, Corporate Restructuring, Contracts, automation, and digitalization of doing work and target oriented. These women are a shining example of the kind of talent Indian women leaders have to offer. It is about time the Indian legal landscape wave up and smell the coffee. The future is female.

Do let us know your thoughts.