Legal profession takes a heavier toll on Female Advocates

Pradakshina Sarmah

The Legal profession has long been associated with prestige power and relentless pressure. Yet beneath the refined appearance of courtrooms and corporate offices lies a troubling reality: Women in law are burning out at higher rates than their male counterparts.

Women remain a minority in India’s legal profession (only 15%). The gap does not only show up in numbers. It appears in who advances, who gets visibility, and who is expected to carry more to stay in the race.

The law is supposed to be a profession built on merit, argument, and access to justice. But for many women in India, the experience of building a legal career looks far less equal than that promise suggests. More than 8 in 10 women respondents said their professional journey has been harder than that of their male counterparts.

This immediately raises a larger question: If Women are entering the profession, why does the path still feels so disproportionate once they are inside it?

The Supreme Court Bar Association’s national survey of 2,604 women legal professionals has found that 81.3% believe their professional journey has been harder than that of male counterparts, with 41.1% describing it as “much harder”. The report states that 63.7% found the profession discouraging at some point of time.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant released the report on March 22 at the first SCBA Conference in Bengaluru. The national survey, titled Documenting Voices of Women Legal Professionals inIndia, highlights continuing barriers in infrastructure, networking, leadership opportunities and work-life balance despite the growing participation of women at the Bar.

According to the report, although Women have formally been admitted to The Bar since the enactment of the Legal Practitioners (Women) Act ,1923, factors such as gender bias, lack of mentorship, financial instability in the early years of practice, poorinfrastructures and disproportionate domestic responsibilities continue to shape and constrain their career paths.

80% of Women Lawyers in India say that the legal profession still works better for men.

A new SCBA survey reveals that for many women in Law, the profession is not only demanding. It is structurally harder than it is for male peers. The numbers point to a deeper problem within the legal system. Women may enter the profession, but they still face unequal access to opportunities for growth, networks, leadership and stability.

Comparative Analysis:

Female Lawyers vs. Male Lawyers: Why career growth still tilts towards Men

Women have had the Right to practice law since the legal practitioners (Women) Act 1923, yet equal progress still feels out of reach. A survey shows how career growth tilts in favour of men at various stages.

About 53.9% said it is easier for men to secure a senior designation. Just 1.7% felt women had that advantage.
As many as 64.5% said they have never held any designated government positions.
Not a single respondent had served as Attorney General, Solicitor General or Additional Solicitor General at the Supreme Court level.
55.5% said appointments to government panels favour men.

The women lawyers clearly wanted a change – 59.4% supported minimum representation on legal service panels. 67.28% backed mandatory policies to ensure women are appointed as panel counsel and law officers.

Leadership within the Bar also remains out of reach for many. Around 64.7% said women do not get equal chances in Bar Leadership. Many pointed to the lack of women’s network (65.5%), along with time and financial pressures (52.6%), family expectations (48.4%) and an aggressive election culture (38.1%) that keeps them out.

No Networks, No Cushion

For many women, entering the legal profession means starting without support or connections. Most are first-generation lawyers, building careers from the grassroot level. Without mentors or networks to lean on, every achievement comes through extra effort and resilience. A majority,83.1% of women identified as first-generation lawyers.

Around 60% said limited opportunities remain a major issue.
Another 42.8% cited networking issues, while 40.2% cited pay gaps.
Networking becomes harder too. About 72.3% said gender has affected their ability to build professional connections.

Women build their base of legal practice across different fields. Many work in Civil Law (71.3%), Family Law (65.4%) and Criminal Law (64.5%). However,56.99% said gender stereotypes around these areas have limited their access at some point.

Building a career without basic support

Women advocate in India often build careers despite systematic gender bias, limited mentorship, and pay disparities but many succeed by leveraging networks.

Many women work without even the basic setup required for a legal practice.

Only 19% said that they have offices within working distance of courts.
Another 12% said they have no office space at all.
About 24.2% said they are still new to the profession.
20.3% cited family responsibilities, and 8.2% cited safety concerns.

The gaps go beyond office space:

Around 75% said they do not have access to paid legal databases.
About 77% women lawyers work without clerical staff.
More than half (56%) lack stable internet access or proper devices.
Around 21% said they have no professional resources at all.

Some of the changes have been made lately. About 65.3% said technology and e-courts have made work easier. At the same time, 34.4% said they have experienced or seen gender bias in institutions.

Work does not end in the courtroom

For many women, entering the legal profession means starting without support or connections for many women, work and home pressures overlap. Without mentors or networks to lean on, every achievement comes through extra effort and resilience.

About 71.5% said marriage has affected their careers.
Among them,44.7% faced minor difficulties, while 26.8% faced major ones.
Work-life balance (30.1%) and financial instability (29.6%) remain the most common concerns.

The pressure builds over time.

About 84% said they faced burnout or work-related stress at least sometimes in the past year.
Among early-career lawyers, that number rises to 94.4%.
Among 59.2% said they are not confident that complaints would be handled fairly.

About 50.9% said they were satisfied with their careers, while 35.3% remained neutral and 13.8% were dissatisfied. Even with these challenges, many women continue in the profession, though often with mixed feelings.

Women have entered the legal profession in large numbers, but the path ahead still comes with extra hurdles at every step. From getting work to moving into senior roles, the gap shows up again and again.

The comparative survey analysis between Female lawyer’s vs male lawyers highlights areas that need prime attention, such as fair access to opportunities, better support in the upcoming years, childcare and maternity support, safer workplaces, and more space for women in decision-making roles. Without these changes, many will continue to face the same roadblocks, no matter how many enter the profession.

References:

1.81% Women Lawyers Face Harder Career Path Than Men: SCBAReport, The Indian Express.

2The Challenges Faced by the Women Lawyers in India, Naya Legal

3.Female Lawyers vs Male Lawyers: Why 80% women lawyers in India say the legal profession still works better for men

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