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Polity & Governance
Mahesh

18/08/23 07:30 AM IST

Supreme Court handbook on gender stereotypes

In News
  • The Supreme Court has launched a handbook that contains a glossary of gender unjust terms and suggests alternative words and phrases which may be used.
About Handbook
  • The SC handbook is a 30-page booklet that aims to assist judges and the legal community in identifying, understanding and combating stereotypes about women.
  • The handbook identifies common stereotypical words and phrases used about women, many of them routinely found in judgements.
  • E.g., in the 2017 SC ruling awarding the death penalty for the convicts in the Delhi gang-rape case, the verdict repeatedly uses the word “ravished” to say raped.
  • The handbook quotes other judgements where judges unwittingly use stereotypical characterisations of women.
  • This handbook flags some of the stereotype promoting language and suggests alternative language (preferred).
  • E.g., instead of using words like "seductress", "whore" or "woman of loose morals", the word "woman" has to be used.
  • The handbook also prohibits use of words like "hooker" and "prostitute" and said the term "sex worker" be used instead.
  • The word "eve-teasing" will now be termed as "street sexual harassment" and "housewife" will now become "homemaker" for judicial discourses.
Significance
  • The language a judge uses reflects not only their interpretation of the law, but their perception of society as well.
  • Even when the use of stereotypes does not alter the outcome of a case, stereotypical language may reinforce ideas contrary to our constitutional ethos.
  • Language is critical to the life of the law. Words are the vehicle through which the values of the law are communicated.
  • Words transmit the ultimate intention of the lawmaker or the judge to the nation.
Source- The Hindu

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