Justice Gulzar Ahmad praises women judges’ role in ending gender bias

LAHORE:Chief Justice of Pakistan-designate Gulzar Ahmad on Friday said women judges played a crucial role in development and encouragement of women in eliminating gender bias.

He said the women working in judiciary had become a role model for the women sitting at homes. “Role of men and women is equally important for the prosperity of the country,” said Justice Ahmad speaking at 3rd Women Judges Conference held by Punjab Judicial Academy (PJA) and Lahore High Court (LHC).

He stressed on the need to have true representation of women on all levels of the judiciary. He applauded efforts and work of the women judges and promised to work towards improving the court environment, making it more accessible and sensitive.

He noted that the women judges in district judiciary had been dealing with complicated cases regarding women and children. He said the women judges needed to be encouraged more so that they could dispense with justice without any fear.

Justice Ahmad was of the view that no society could excel without encouraging its women. He said the conference hosted by the Punjab Judicial Academy was in fact a voice of whole judiciary.

LHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan discussed issues of gender discrimination and said the high court was in process of establishing gender-based violence and juvenile courts throughout the province. He emphasised the need to improve accessibility to courts and stated that efforts were being made to improve the court environment.

Justice Ayesha A Malik of the LHC underlined the importance of the gender perspective in upholding the rule of law. She focused on the use of gender neutral language and providing a more gender sensitive court environment for women, children and the differently-able persons. She said gender perspective was an all inclusive concept which was not just for women but for all judges and that the women judges had a role to play in bringing this perspective to the forefront.

Speaking on the occasion, PJA Director General Habibullah Amir and Director Programmes Ms Jazeela Aslam recognised the efforts of the Justice Ayesha A Malik for the initiative of the conference.

The conference was attended by the women judges of Punjab who will spend next two days discussing issues of the Gender Perspective in the Civil Justice System, Criminal Justice System, and the Digital World.