Denied a chamber, woman advocate forced to work from car for over a decade in Bihar

Anita Jha heads to the Civil Court in the Madhubani district of Bihar after completing her morning tasks at home, which include caring for her cows. She goes there not only to attend hearings but also to carry on her protracted fight for dignity at work.

A practising advocate with nearly 30 years of experience, Jha says she has been denied one of the most basic professional necessities: a chamber of her own. For more than a decade now, she has been forced to work out of her car on the court premises.

Pointing to the glaring disparity, Jha says women advocates in Madhubani face systemic discrimination. “We perform the same duties as male lawyers, but we are denied even basic facilities,” she remarks, her sarcasm barely concealing her anger.

Anita claims that about 12 years ago, a group of men allegedly took over a chamber that was initially designated for women advocates. Jha asserts that the concerns of female solicitors have continuously been disregarded in spite of numerous complaints, demonstrations, and requests to the authorities.

Anita Jha has continued to practise law from her car as a symbol of protest and to raise awareness of the problem of gender-based discrimination in the legal system.

She claims that her fight is about respect, equality, and acknowledgement for women in the legal field rather than just space.