Still Time to Speak Up—SCBA Extends Women Advocates’ Survey till Feb 15
(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)
New Delhi: 5, February,2026-In view of the overwhelming response received from women members of the Bar across the country, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has extended the deadline for participation in its National Survey of Women Advocates till February 15. The extension is aimed at ensuring wider representation and enabling more women advocates to share their professional experiences within the legal ecosystem.
The national-level survey seeks to systematically document the lived realities, challenges, and structural barriers faced by women advocates, with the larger objective of contributing to the creation of a more inclusive, equitable, and representative legal fraternity. The SCBA has urged women advocates from all jurisdictions to actively participate, underscoring that their responses will play a crucial role in shaping meaningful discourse and policy-oriented recommendations.
According to the SCBA, the findings of the survey will be comprehensively analysed and formally presented during a National-Level Conference, tentatively scheduled to be held in the third week of March. The conference is expected to bring together key stakeholders, including members of the judiciary, senior advocates, policymakers, and representatives of Bar associations, to deliberate on gender equity within the legal profession.
The national survey builds upon a previous SCBA study conducted among women advocates practicing in the Delhi–NCR region, which had revealed significant gender disparities in the profession. That survey highlighted that nearly one-third of women lawyers reported facing gender bias and discrimination in their professional lives. It further revealed that over half of the respondents struggled to maintain a work–life balance, particularly due to marital responsibilities and motherhood-related obligations.
By expanding the scope of the study nationwide, the SCBA aims to capture a broader and more nuanced understanding of the challenges confronting women advocates across different courts and regions. The Association has reiterated its commitment to fostering gender-sensitive reforms and encouraging institutional support mechanisms within the legal profession.
Women advocate willing to participate have been encouraged to complete the survey before the extended deadline, as their collective voices are expected to significantly influence future initiatives aimed at strengthening gender equality at the Bar.
