Women oppressed by attitude of men, not laws: Senior Advocate Fali Nariman at SILF event

It is not laws that oppress women but the deprecating attitude of men that does, Senior Advocate Fali S Nariman said on Saturday..Nariman was speaking at an event held to celebrate Lady Lawyers Day, which was hosted by the Ladies Group of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF).“It is not laws by parliament that oppress women. Laws are invariably passed by having regard to sub-clause 3 Article 15 which says nothing shall prevent the making of special provisions for women. It is only the deprecating attitude of men towards women that oppresses women far more which is a pity,” Nariman observed during his speech..He added that women around the world have become exasperated over this male-dominated attitude. In this regard, he recounted a media report where French journalist, Françoise Giroud was asked a question on how long she would fight for the equality of the sexes. Her response, Nariman recounted, was as frank as it was practical:“Until incompetent women can hold important jobs, just like men do.”Nariman observed that in India, even this will take a long time, but we must press on..He concluded his address with a motto he came across while watching a woman anchor on television where she is stated to have said,“See how far we have come, but watch how far we will go.”.Nariman also paid tribute to Cornelia Sorabji, who was known for many firsts, including being the first woman to practice law in India.He recounted that Sorabji was known to have always helped other women, while urging members of the SILF Ladies Group to never forget to do the same..Another woman pioneer he remembered was former Supreme Court judge Justice Ruma Pal. The veteran lawyer noted that Justice Pal was reckoned by many to be more efficient when compared to her male counterparts, and more bold and fearless.Unfortunately, she retired from office while she was the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, just one rank short from being the first woman Chief Justice of India, he recounted..The SILF Ladies Group event also saw an inaugural address by Delhi High Court judge Justice Prathiba M Singh. A message from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was also read out at the event.

Women oppressed by attitude of men, not laws: Senior Advocate Fali Nariman at SILF event

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