Keep away from Utilizing Housewife, Hooker, Prostitute, Slut: SC Releases Handbook On Gender Stereotypes

New Delhi: The Supreme Courtroom on Wednesday launched a handbook on combating gender stereotypes that goals to help judges and the authorized group in figuring out, understanding and combating stereotypes about girls. The ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ comprises a glossary of gender-unjust phrases and suggests different phrases or phrases which can be used whereas drafting pleadings in addition to orders and judgments. It additionally identifies frequent stereotypes about girls, lots of which have been utilised by courts up to now, and demonstrates why they’re inaccurate and the way they might distort the applying of the legislation. 

“Counting on predetermined stereotypes in judicial decision-making contravenes the obligation of judges to determine every case on its deserves, independently and impartially. Specifically, reliance on stereotypes about girls is liable to distort the legislation’s utility to girls in dangerous methods,” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud mentioned.

“Language is important to the lifetime of the legislation. Phrases are the car by means of which the values of the legislation are communicated. Phrases transmit the final word intention of the lawmaker or the choose to the nation. Nonetheless, the language a choose makes use of displays not solely their interpretation of the legislation however their notion of society as effectively,” he added.

The CJI acknowledged that the place the language of judicial discourse displays ‘antiquated or incorrect’ concepts about girls, it inhibits the transformative undertaking of the legislation and the Structure of India, which search to safe equal rights to all individuals, no matter gender.

Chandrachud hoped that the handbook is broadly learn by all members of the authorized occupation in India as it’s going to give a ‘contemporary impetus’ to our quest in direction of a gender-just authorized order, and will likely be an important doc to make sure that courts can ship equal and neutral justice to people of all genders.

The handbook, notably, was conceptualised throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and was initially envisaged as part of the data element of the e-Committee of the Supreme Courtroom.