WHEN one meets Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo, one cannot help but be impressed by her ‘joie de vivre’ and it is obvious she enjoys what she does. Not only was she crowned winner of Miss Asia Millennium Universe 2019, but she was also declared the youngest and first woman Chairperson of the Selangor Bar this year.
As a 35-year-old, it is no mean task to be elected as the first woman Chairperson of the 56-year-old Selangor Bar but Kokila, or ‘Koki’ as she is fondly known among friends, took it all in her stride.
“I had a few meltdowns before the elections as veteran lawyers were calling me and questioning my judgement in standing for the election as they felt I was taking on too much,” she said, but Kokila did not waver in her resolve and went ahead with her plan to challenge the status quo.
In reality Kokila had worked hard over the years – coming from a family of lawyers – her father and mother were serving members of the Bar, but unfortunately her father passed away when she was just 13-years-old and her mother had to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up her siblings, all of whom took up careers in law.
Kokila is not unfamiliar with the Selangor Bar Committee, having served in the Committee since 2015 right up to the elections, all the time carrying on her full-time job as a lawyer, working her way up to be Head of Civil Litigation in a law firm.
Kokila feels the time has come for a change in the way things are being done, right from the cafeterias in the 17 courts in Selangor, to the complaints made by lawyers and judges alike on the day-to-day operations of the courts themselves.
Also, in support of those who could not afford the cost of legal aid, Kokila feels the Legal Aid mechanism needs further improvement to make it accessible, especially during the pandemic when many have lost jobs and litigation is beyond the reach of many in need.
“There is also a crying need for a Gender Equality Committee so chambering students as well as young lawyers are on a level playing field and also the problem of sexual harassment has become more rampant and we need to regulate the complaints and deal with them decisively,” said Kokila.
One of the first things Kokila did upon being elected as Selangor Bar Chairperson was to set up the Gender Equality Committee, which has been well-received.
With 7,105 members, the Selangor Bar is well represented with women lawyers, Kokila said, “we need to change the game and become more user-friendly in all that we offer our members.”
With a family of lawyers, Kokila said it was not always easy to succeed in a man’s world and she stresses,
“For women to succeed, men need to support their initiatives and women should continue to support each other as the world is changing and we need to be resilient enough to accept the changes or else be left behind.”
Kokila also believes that women lawyers should not be known as female lawyers but just lawyers.
“There may be times when I have to make decisions that are not popular, but I am prepared to face the consequences,” said Kokila, who agrees that many a time she has been challenged to give up and just get married, but she intends to show that women can do a job as equally if not better than a man. – The Vibes, March 27, 2021
