Justice Malik talks about bringing women's perspective to judiciary.

LONDON -- Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the Supreme Court during a visit to London spoke about breaking the glass ceiling and her journey as a woman judge in a male-dominated profession with entrenched biases.

At a Future of Pakistan ConAference session held at the London School of Economics (LSE) by the Pakistan Development SociAety, the SC judge told spellbound audience members, many of them female law students, about the challenges and opportunities in her career.

'There were many challenges. I was the only female associate at the law firm where I worked, and then became the only female partner. Later, I was the only female judge at the Lahore High Court for one and a half years. Now, I am the only female judge in the Supreme Court,' Justice Malik said.

'Imagine a hall of people full of men, with one female in the room - that's the feeling you get. The challenges ranged from where the women's bathrooms are in court to how people address you, or how one should dress. Even the conversations at tea time were typical 'locker room' or 'boy talk' conversations. I don't relate to that boy talk, so now it has to change.

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'I have been lucky. But there are many women from the district judiciary who have had a tough life and have come from a different background. The crowd they deal with is tough. Those women are far less in number, and the courtrooms they work in are not built for women,' she added.

Justice Malik said her journey has been about bringing the 'gender perspective' to her work, a view she said is entirely missing. Describing her rise to the apex court, she said: 'As a woman I had to work harder and be on my best to show I am capable in order for people to have trust and faith in me.'

Addressing the controversy that arose during her elevation from the LHC to the SC, Justice Malik said: 'When I was being appointed, this debate that I wasn't the most senior judge was brought up. I was at number four [in terms of seniority]. The judges appointed before me were not the senior most. In fact, 45 were...