A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court, requesting a 33 percent reservation for women in bar associations throughout Gujarat.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice on the petition and scheduled the matter for hearing in January 2025.

During the hearing on December 17, the Court questioned why advocate Meena Jagtap had engaged a male lawyer to represent her case and had requested her presence. 

On December 19, Jagtap openly discussed her challenges, including limited proficiency in English and a lack of experience in higher courts. She also highlighted her role as the head of an NGO dedicated to assisting destitute individuals. 

The Court expressed admiration for the many roles women often juggle, such as homemakers, educators, and professionals. Additionally, the Court encouraged Jagtap to appear more frequently before the High Court.

"We feel proud as women in our country shoulder so many responsibilities.. like homemaker, teacher, lawyers, and so much more, Why don't you appear more in High Court ..you must. anyways you can approach High Court as well," the Court said.

Jagtap noted that her previous request to the High Court had not been successful, as the number of female bar members remained very low.

Taking her concerns into account, the Supreme Court decided to issue a notice and scheduled the matter for hearing in the third or fourth week of January 2025.