In a rare first, Kerala's Pala Bar Association elects all-women office bearers

Thiruvananthapuram: In what is considered as a first of its type in the country,  an all-women committee of office bearers has been elected by the Pala Bar Association in Kottayam district of Kerala.

In the 15 member committee, except for the president, all others were elected unopposed.

Usha Menon won the president post by defeating  Josekutty T J by 97 votes. In the 347 member association the number of women members is 73.

Menon told DH that it was not a planned move to have an all women committee. As women happened to file nominations to all posts, the male members who filed nominations to other posts, except that of the president, had withdrawn the nominations. In the previous committees there used to be only two to three women, including one reserved for women.

The all-women committee assumed significance as the Supreme Court had earlier proposed that one-third seats in bar associations should be reserved for women.

The new committee of the Pala bar association will assume charge on Saturday (April 26)