Bengaluru: It’s a bittersweet gender situation in Karnataka‘s consumer courts, with no woman at the top in the past five years, according to the India Justice Report’s Consumer Justice Report 2026.The overall trend is not comforting either. Women’s share in state commissions in the country declined from an average of 35% in 2021 to 29% in 2025, hitting a low of 23.2% in 2024. This comes at a time when women’s economic participation is rising.Across large states, Karnataka performed better than most in member representation. However, the leadership gap is stark nationwide. Data shows that 11 out of 21 state commissions did not have a woman president in 2024 and 2025, besides Delhi and Odisha. Kerala, notably, has not had a woman president in the past five years.For the record, Karnataka has had one woman president — Justice BS Indrakala — from 2014 to 2019.In 2024, women accounted for 50% of members at the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC), even as the state had no woman president. Women also made up 42.9% of SCDRC staff — the highest among large states.Data from four Bengaluru district commissions shows that while the total staff rose from 40 to 44 between 2021 and 2025, women’s representation dropped from 25 to 21. Bengaluru Urban II additional court recorded the highest share, with women making up 82% — eight of its 11 staff members — in 2025.Against this backdrop, activists say Karnataka’s relatively better performance in staffing and member representation stands out, but the absence of a woman president highlights the continuing glass ceiling in consumer justice institutions.YG Muralidharan, founding member, Consumer Rights Education and Awareness Trust (CREAT), said: “Despite provisions under the Consumer Protection Act for women members, leadership positions continue to be dominated by men because of a lack of support. Unless there is a structural intervention, such as reserving the post of president or chairman for women, this imbalance is unlikely to change. The govt must examine global practices and consider stronger provisions to ensure both better representation and more effective consumer protection.“Sujatha V, advocate and consumer activist, explained: “At present, very few women are coming into consumer activism or even consumer law practice. But if more women join, it will help in accessibility. The govt should actively encourage women’s participation by changing the law and creating stronger enabling mechanisms to ensure better representation and inclusion.” But officials said according to the law, there is no reservation for women in presidential posts in consumer commissions.
