Richa Chadha, who plays a female advocate in Section 375, says she wants to inspire women to take to the profession
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 5, 2019)

As part of her prep work for the courtroom drama, Section 375, Richa Chadha realised that the dearth of female public prosecutors in the country could be the reason for the lack of sensitivity towards crimes against women.

Tackling gender disparity in this profile, she believes, could go a long way in encouraging empathy towards survivors. Chadha, who plays a public prosecutor in the upcoming drama, tells mid-day, "The government is doing its bit by setting up more Mahila courts [in the country] that tackle crimes against women. Such courts are also being presided over by female judges. Such initiatives are a step in the right direction."

While she considers female advocates like Indira Jaising, Pinky Anand and Karuna Nandy as role models, Chadha further adds that their numbers within courtrooms are limited. With her act, she hopes to make the "profession more appealing for young women lawyers". Chadha insists that sensitivity towards crimes against women will develop with gender parity.

"Cases of dowry, domestic violence, kidnapping, molestation and rape are often fast-tracked. The survivor will be more comfortable if gender crimes are approached from an empathetic standpoint." Section 375 also features Akshaye Khanna.