Mediation gives women a voice in justice system: Norma Alvares

Margao: Senior advocate and Padma Shri awardee Norma Alvares on Friday emphasised the transformative role of mediation in empowering women during a plenary session at the national symposium on mediation held at Sancoale.Speaking from a woman’s perspective, Alvares described mediation as an essential pillar of the justice system that provides a space where people are heard, respected, and encouraged to find solutions. “Mediation gives women a voice,” Alvares said. “It allows us to speak for ourselves rather than through aggressive legal strategies that may silence or intimidate us,” she said. She pointed out how legal representation can sometimes fail to convey what women truly wish to communicate.She stressed that for women, legal disputes involving matrimonial issues, family matters, workplace conflicts, and inheritance were not merely theoretical problems confined to paper.She said these disputes profoundly impact their safety, children, dignity, relationships, and futures, carrying “emotional and social consequences that go far beyond the courtroom.”In a patriarchal society, she said, power inherently rests with men, husbands, in-laws, bosses, and sometimes even judges.“Do they understand what a woman is going through to pluck up the courage to bring this dispute into the fore for resolution?” she asked.According to Alvares, mediation directly addresses these power imbalances by attempting to create a level playing field through dialogue. “For women, mediation means not only quicker resolution of disputes and reduced trauma, but outcomes that enable us to move forward with dignity,” she said.In a world where women continue striving for equal access to justice, Alvares described mediation as a tool of empowerment.“It reminds us that law can be compassionate and that justice can be delivered without destructive ends. Mediation is a symbol of wisdom and hope for the future,” she said.The plenary session was chaired by Justice P Sam Koshy, high court of Telangana