Kathmandu, March 8:

A recent survey conducted by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) revealed that women’s representation is nil in the gazetted senior class, first class and second class of the legal services of the government such as in the Supreme Court, Appellate Courts, Judicial Service Group, Government Attorney, the FWLD said in a release today.

Only nine per cent of women serve as judges in the SC, while Appellate Courts do not have women judges and District Courts have only 2.5 per cent of women judges. Women officers in the Department of Law and Department of Judicial Service occupy three per cent and four per cent seats respectively, without any representation in gazetted first class.

Only two per cent of women occupy the post of government attorneys, only four per cent of women are senior advocates, and seven per cent are women advocates. Of total advocates, only one per cent women are advocates.

Citing the low representation of women in the legal service and to bring out effective and result-oriented programmes to increase their representation, the FWLD submitted its appeal to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chief Justice, Judicial Council, Attorney-General, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Nepal Bar Council, NBA, Public Service Commission and other concerned authorities.