Vigilant civic society partnered with courts to drive progress in gender justice: CJI

Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Wednesday (November 12, 2025) said progress made in gender justice in India have never been the achievement of the courts alone, the collective voice of citizens against regressive practices have been a major factor.

“It is important to acknowledge that progress in gender justice has never been the achievement of courts alone. The collective voice of citizens has ensured that regressive precedents were questioned, debated, and ultimately corrected through reform, reinterpretation, or legislative intervention,” the Chief Justice said.

The CJI was delivering the 30th Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture on ‘Justice for All: Building a Gender Equal and Inclusive India’.

The Chief Justice said there were instances when judicial interpretations had failed to capture the lived realities of women or fell short of the transformative spirit of the Constitution.

“However, the vigilance of civil society, the persistence of women’s movements, and the courage of ordinary citizens have together kept the judiciary accountable to the constitutional promise of equality,” Chief Justice Gavai said.

The CJI underscored that the dialogue between the courts and the people was one of the “most vital” sources of India’s democratic strength, “reminding us that the march toward gender equality is not a destination reached, but a commitment constantly renewed”.

“Despite the progress we have made, the journey toward genuine gender equality remains far from complete. The task before us is not merely to celebrate symbolic achievements or token representations but to ensure that women have a real and equal share in spaces of power, decision-making, and opportunity. Equality must not be confined to numbers or appearances; it must be reflected in the structures, attitudes, and institutions that shape our public and private lives,” the CJI said.