July 1982

family welfare courts, drafting and pushing through The Adoption of Infants Bill, successfully resisting a proposed amendment to the Hindu Succession Act in Punjab which would have denied daughters a share in agricultural property ....

Starting with a modest membership of 23, the federation today has some 1,200 women on its rolls. A former president, Chandramani Chopra has been actively involved in its deliberations since its founding.

Does the professionalism of a lawyer ever clash with the zeal of a social worker? The answer comes without any hesitation: "I certainly don't have any preferences as far as my choice of clients is concerned ... it can be a man or woman. But yes, the kind of pleasure I get if I have helped a woman get her due is certainly not there if it is a male client."

Women litigants, however, don't reciprocate with any similar affinity for women lawyers. Says Mrs. Chopra: "I have often felt that women litigants don't repose the same confidence in me in cases involving property which they do in cases of family disputes.

Hingorani) and two Additional District and Session judges. The women themselves discriminate against women!"

Women lawyers have always received the maximum enUsha Mehra handles matrimonial cases, "not by choice," she says with a smile. As a practicing lawyer, Miss Mehra handled couragement from the judiciary. Miss Mehra recalls how judges several matrimonial cases but made a name for herself as a would often guide a fledgling lawyer along, by giving helpful specialist in industrial dispute cases-probably the first woman hints and references. She also remembers the financial help that to do so in Delhi. Ironically, she got a start in this field because the court gave in indirect ways: "In the beginning you made couldn't afford to pay much and I hardly any money. Those days it was impossible for a woman to she was a woman-"They either had to do cases free or for was happy with whatever they gave m~." She remembers doing survive on that money-you her very first case for free. Her deft handling of labor dispute very little. The court would help by giving us commissions-like cases made her popular with unions as well as individual asking us to record statements. This brought in Rs. 200-300 a workers, especially with bus drivers and conductors. month which in those. days was very good money."

Having experienced so much early discrimination in emThanks to the pioneering work of women like Miss Mehra, ployment opportunities, most senior women lawyers make a there are no longer any fields where women lawyers haven't made their triumphant presence felt. From crime to constitupoint of taking in women as juniors. Mrs. Chopra, who has had tional law, they've made their mark everywhere. And there is two women juniors earlier, now has a male junior-yet another note of triumph for women. But discrimination and reverse one field where being a woman has its advantages: matrimonial cases. "Women can confide many things in a woman lawyer that discrimination aside, do women make better lawyers and judges than men? they can't in a man," is the common and obvious explanation.

"Both women and men have nurturing qualities and "Besides," points out Chandramani Chopra who 'has handled hundreds of matrimonial cases in her 20-year career, "there aggressive qualities," says Mrs. Seth. "You can't generalize. are several trivial things in a case of marital discord which a man Some people say that women are too emotional to make good will never understand the importance of. Women are more judges; others say they are more merciful so they make better sensitive on this issue." judges. I personally feel that it depends on the individual The courts really opened up for women lawyers when they personality, not the sex. My reputation, I am told, is that I am opened up for aggrieved women-with the passing of the very tough."

Hindu Marriage Act in 1954. The act made bigamy an offense, Miss Mehra feels that women can make better lawyers and made divorce easier, gave women a chance to fight for judges than men: "Women are born to solve problems." A pause and probably a flashback to a case or two: "Of course their rights-and who could help them fight better than other women? they also create them. I have found that in most matrimonial While Mrs. Seth made a conscious decision not to take up cases, the problems are caused by women as mothers-in-law, matrimonial cases, in order to avoid being categorized as a whether the husband's or the wife's." "women's lawyer," she agrees that women in the legal And it takes a woman lawyer to get to the inner recesses of a profession can help the cause of women. woman's mind in such cases. "We've fought cases on behalf of Mrs. Chopra, who is deeply involved in the Current the husband too," both Miss Mehra and Mrs. Chopra stress.

"If I had more women than men as clients, it wasn't by antidowry movement in Delhi, firmly believes that women in choice," Miss Mehra says of her earlier days as a lawyer. Those the leg~l\ profession should take advantage of the resources, knowledge and power at their disposal to help women. were the days when, if they could help it, nobody took a woman In fact, the main objective of the Indian Federation of lawyer by choice. "But with the passage of time, attitudes have Women Lawyers, formed in 1962, is "to enhance and promote changed," says Mrs. Chopra. "Today there are several men the welfare of women and children particularly by securing the who prefer a woman lawyer because they have seen that many passage of legislation for the advancement of women and the of them are more dedicated. After all, we have got used to having to work extra hard to prove ourselves." protection of women and children."

As Mrs. Seth puts it: "We had to be equal plus .... " D The federation has been active in promoting the concept of