Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority Organizes Awareness Programme to Empower Women and Strengthen Institutional Support
SRINAGAR, June 20, 2026 :- The Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority, under the guidance of the National Legal Services Authority, organized a major awareness programme on empowering women and strengthening institutional legal support at SKICC in Srinagar.
The event was attended by Supreme Court Judge and National Legal Services Authority Executive Chairman Vikram Nath, Supreme Court Judge and Supervising Judge for the Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority S. V. N. Bhatti, Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Sanjeev Kumar, and High Court Judge Sanjay Dhar, alongside several other judges and judicial officers.
The programme served as a collective institutional platform designed to boost awareness about the legal rights of women and girl children while improving coordination among legal services institutions, police, health, education, social welfare, One Stop Centres, and child welfare committees.
In his presidential address, Vikram Nath emphasized that the effectiveness of legal services institutions must be judged by whether a person in distress can approach the system without fear, be heard with dignity, and receive competent assistance without avoidable delay. He called upon stakeholders to strengthen legal literacy, institutional coordination, and grassroots outreach so that constitutional safeguards become a practical reality.
He also stressed that the proceedings and key deliberations of this conference should be translated into vernacular languages and circulated among all concerned stakeholders to ensure the guidance is easily understood and effectively acted upon at the grassroots level. S. V. N. Bhatti highlighted the need for functional grievance mechanisms, trained stakeholders, and victim-sensitive procedures, noting that women and children should not be compelled to navigate a fragmented institutional system or repeatedly recount traumatic experiences.
Delivering the inaugural address, Sanjeev Kumar underscored that access to justice cannot be measured merely by the availability of laws and institutions. He called for stronger grassroots outreach and the effective functioning of Front Offices, Legal Aid Clinics, panel lawyers, and para-legal volunteers. Recalling the distinguished tradition of humanitarian intervention by the Jammu and Kashmir Legal Services Authority, he highlighted its exemplary response in the aftermath of the devastating 2005 earthquake, when judicial officers conducted Lok Adalats in the open to enable victims to receive immediate compensation.
Sanjay Dhar observed that the recognition of a right in law is only the beginning and that the real test lies in whether that right can be understood and effectively enforced, adding that prompt assistance and sensitivity are essential to prevent secondary victimization.During the event, the dignitaries released the annual newsletter-cum-compendium reflecting legal services activities and initiatives across the Union Territory. They also flagged off multi-utility vehicles for the District Legal Services Authorities of Kashmir Province to extend legal awareness and aid to remote and underserved areas.
The programme featured two technical sessions, the first of which focused on the role of legal services institutions regarding the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.
The second technical session addressed institutional support, victim assistance, and convergence mechanisms for women in distress, touching upon cyberstalking, impersonation, and technology-enabled abuse while stressing the need for a coordinated, compassionate response that places the dignity and rehabilitation of survivors at the center.