The Advocates’ Association of Western India (AAWI) has taken a groundbreaking step by reserving the position of president for women, effective from the upcoming election. This decision marks AAWI as the first bar association in India to introduce such a reservation for female lawyers. The resolution, passed at a special general body meeting on August 21, stipulates that the presidency will be reserved for women every third term.
A Historic Amendment
The unanimous decision during the special meeting included approving changes to the Rules and Constitution of AAWI. A statement from the association highlighted the historic nature of this amendment, noting that in its 162-year history, no woman had ever held the president’s role. The new rule aims to rectify this by ensuring that a woman leads the association once every three terms.
Specifically, the newly introduced proviso to Rule 3(a) mandates that the president’s office will be reserved for a woman member in every third election cycle. This change will commence in the term immediately following two terms without such reservation.
Broader Structural Changes
Along with this key amendment, structural changes have been proposed for other office-bearer roles. According to the proposed proviso to Rule 3(c), the secretary position will also be reserved for a woman during the first of two non-reserved presidential terms.
Additionally, the 2026 amendment expands the executive council from eight to nine regular members, with a stipulation in Rule 3(f) that mandates the inclusion of four women members. This includes two seats reserved for women among the five members with at least seven years of practice and another two among the four seats requiring four years of practice. As a result, women will hold slightly over a third of all council positions.
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A Step Towards Gender Equality
AAWI’s President, Prashant Relekar, lauded the resolution as historic, noting its alignment with the Supreme Court’s mandate for 30% reservation for women in bar associations. “We are proud to be the first association in the country to pass such a resolution, paving the way for female leadership in bar associations,” he remarked.
The initiative followed recommendations from a Constitutional Committee constituted on August 9, aimed at enhancing women’s participation in executive leadership. The committee included senior advocates of both genders, who provided valuable insights and suggestions.
Vice President Prachi Tatake confirmed that the resolutions were based on these recommendations and expressed confidence in their unanimous acceptance. “Maharashtra has always been a progressive state, and I had no doubt about the resolution’s unanimous approval,” she said.
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Addressing concerns about the potential unavailability of a female candidate, Tatake assured that efforts would be made to avoid such a scenario. “While there is currently no provision for this, if it arises, we can convene a special meeting to address it, although we are confident it won’t happen,” she added.
An AAWI member, Advocate Sonal, concluded by commending the association for implementing what is perhaps the most comprehensive and effective reservation framework for women advocates in India.
