Abstract:
Even though over half a century has passed for Nepal’s first woman lawyer, gender norms continue to hold women back from the legal profession. In a survey conducted by the Nepal Bar Association, it was seen that the women’s participation as lawyers and judges was very nominal. According to the Nepal Bar Association, there are a total of 18,160 lawyers in Nepal and only 2,200 of them are women.
Even though the number of women law graduates has increased in the past few years, there are several barriers that discourage them from pursuing a legal career. Nepali women are still largely treated unequally compared to their male peers. Gender stereotypes, workplace structures, and the patriarchal mindset of Nepali society all act as barriers. A peculiar barrier stems from the term used to address judges in Nepali courts. In Nepal, the judges are to be referred to as “Shreeman” while arguing a case in a court of law. This term can cause discomfort and can lead to a negative impact on female lawyers, because “Shreeman” is generally used to address a woman’s husband. This paper intends to identify the barriers, analyze the situation and hopefully recommend methods to tackle such barriers.
Speaker:
Ms. Mitsu Parikh, Senior Researcher, World of Legal Research
Mitsu Parikh is an Indian citizen who has B.A.LLB(Hons.) from Institute of Law, Nirma University. She has pursued dual masters respectively from Gujarat National University in Comparative International Law and University of Sydney in Legal Research. Due to her search work, she received ‘Best Student’ from Dean’s List. Presently, she is a Senior Researcher in the company called World of Legal Research offering Academic Research Services to Government and Private Entities. She has published numerous papers and have written chapters in several books. She is a visiting faculty in law schools in India.
Mr. Harsh Mahaseth, Research Associate, World of Legal Research
Harsh Mahaseth is a Nepalese citizen graduate student in Asian Legal Studies from the National University of Singapore. He has also been working as a Research Associate with the World of Legal Research for the past year. His numerous publications in prestigious blogs and journals have earned him the Best Law Student and Emerging Scholar Award, and his internships with various international organizations such as the SAARC Secretariat, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, et al. have directed him towards the areas of Asian Studies, Public International Law and Human Rights.