ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) a statutory body has recommended a quota of 33 per cent for women in department of law and justice.

The recommendation was made in an inquiry report: “Status of Women Employment in Public Sector Organizations,” commissioned by the NCSW while exercising its mandate under article 7a of the Ordinance No 26.

The commission, since its inception in July 2000 has been empowered to examine and assess implementation of government policies and make recommendations to the government.

The report maintained that in the department of law and justice the critical posts were: Judge of high courts, registrar, district and session judges, additional session judges, senior civil judges, police prosecutors and presiding officers of special courts.

However, due to societal tendencies and lack of government’s will there were a negligible number of women on these posts, said the report.

Noticing the dismal presence of women in the legal profession, the inquiry report has recommended the constitution of a special committee for the recruitment of women lawyers to these positions.

The report said the quota of 33 per cent should be observed for each of the posts present in the department of law and justice. The report continued that women employment in the public sector had received very little attention, if at all, from either the government or private sector groups.

Being critical of the federal as well as provincial governments, the report observed that their efforts have remained limited to announcements for reservation of quota in jobs for women in public sector organizations.

When the present regime came into power, under the National Plan of Action, it committed 25 per cent quota, later on a consensus was reached on 5 per cent quota for women in public sector jobs, the report said.

Similarly, at the provincial levels, Sindh province and Northern Areas responded by notifying the five per cent reservation of quota but the NWFP Government reduced it to two per cent and the governments of Punjab and Balochistan did not endorse the proposal at all.

However, of late, the Punjab government too approved five per cent quota in the public sector organizations. Subsequently, a proposal was also floated by the out-going minister for women development, social welfare and special education, Dr Attiya Inayatullah on the occasion of the National Convention on Women on Women’s International Day 2000, for increasing the quota to 20 per cent.