Fighting for the rights

Fighting for one’s rights can be a long and tough fight. It can
be a case of two steps forward and one back. And yes, the road can be a very
long one. It helps to have allies in that fight. Women have been fighting for
their rights and they have had people assisting them through the ages. Some of
their biggest allies have been female legal advocates who have fought the good
fight. They have drafted affidavits, presented arguments in court and basically
did all the hard work. For female legal professionals it has been quite an
experience fighting for the rights of women.

For Harsha Naik, a senior lawyer said,
“Advocacy is a very noble profession. and one should use it as a profession
only and it could not be termed a business. As a lawyer, I get briefs from
various sections of society whether male, female and senior citizens. I Being
woman, other women feel comfortable to approach me and discuss their matters
freely. As a lady lawyer I would say that the psychology of each person differs
considering the age, economic and financial status, educational qualifications
and the surrounding environment. Sometimes it is really difficult to understand
the mind of each woman when they approach me to defend their cases either civil
or criminal”. She said female clients need time to build up rapport and discuss
their personal matters for the first time with a professional lawyer. She said
if she knew them personally then they would disclose their problems fast and in
a better way, but if they were not, it would take time and sometimes they
disclose incomplete or wrong facts. She said some lady clients were not sure
what they wanted or were not firm in their decisions. She said “When they brief
us they are not open in disclosing the facts as they tend to disclose facts
only which are favouring or supporting them”. Some clients she said would be
silent and their family would try to disclose the matter which may not be
correct or true. Harsha said “In those cases I request the aggrieved person to
come forward and to interact and communicate with me as I feel that she will be
the right person to put her grievances before me. Celebrating the international
Women’s day is not a day only to wish for them but it should be a day to
recognise, to respect, to understand her at all times. The theme for celebrating
the International women’s day is women empowerment and sustainable development.
Women should be active in all fields; they should grab the opportunity in the
decision making process”.

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Advocate Asma Sayed, another experienced advocate, said with
regards to cases around divorce, domestic violence, women were always
comfortable talking to a female advocate. She said “There is better
understanding both ways. When a distressed woman has experienced violence or a
crime against her she would not be comfortable approaching a man. A woman
understands and there is a comfort level. The woman is not looking only for a
lawyer but also for a woman who understands them better. This is my
experience.” Practicing as a lawyer for a decade she said when it came to matters
like divorce, they came to a woman for help and helped them save the marriage.
She said she would usually call both the parties and try to solve the matter.
When it was just not working, it was important to ensure it was done by mutual
consent.

Caroline
Collaso has been fighting for women’s rights for twenty five years, first as a
student and then as an advocate. She said there was greater sensitivity now
especially in offices where if a female walked in seeking legal redress, she
would be directed to a female advocate. She said now female judges were
mandated to hear divorce cases or hearings involving custody of children. The
situation she said had improved over the years she had been practicing, driven
by the fact women were now economically independent and now not under the thumb
of their husband. She said much more needed to be done but it was certainly
better than before.