They have never been to a law school or sported the lawyer’s black robes but many women in rural India are dispensing justice in tough cases like rape, child marriage and even divorce — mostly in just two weeks - at ‘Nari Adalats.’

A concept devised by women for women, these Nari Adalats, or women’s courts, are not constitutional bodies but are like a para-legal authority.

Like learned solicitors, the women running Nari Adalats record case profiles and history, the names of errant in-laws and husbands and the details of proceedings.

Like the police, they conduct in-depth inquiry, talk to both the parties and like courts they summon both for a hearing.“We started with the idea of solving minor problems of women like husband-wife fights, but today cases like rape, molestation, divorce and domestic violence are pouring in,” said Jasodha Vashava, a founding member of the Nari Adalat in Vadodara, Gujarat.

“In most cases, we solve them within two weeks. Initially, the men were not taking our rulings seriously, but things have changed. Now everyone is listening to us and abiding by our rulings. The journey was difficult but not impossible,” Vashava, 45, told IANS.

What started as a small gathering of rural women in Gujarat has gained credibility over the years. The first court was set up in 1995 at Vadodara; currently there are 60 such courts across nine states. Shanti Gohil, another judge from Vadodara, said the State Lega

l Service Authority and police department have been very supportive and were helping them solve cases.

Recently, these women were in the national capital to interact with their counterparts from other states.

“We have been accepted as a para-legal group. Sometimes district magistrates and public prosecutors come and sit with us to see the proceedings. We now have the backing of the state government and the legal system,” said P. Prasanthi, a woman associated with a Nari Adalat in Andhra Pradesh. Kameshwari Jandyala, who is overseeing Nari Adalats across India, said these courts have solved 23,000 cases so far.