Agencies
NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Words like eve-teasing, prostitute, and housewife may soon be out of the legal lexicon and will be replaced by terms like street sexual harassment, sex worker and homemaker. The Supreme Court on Wednesday launched a handbook that contains a glossary of gender unjust terms and suggests alternative words and phrases which may be used.
As soon as a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud assembled to hear arguments on a batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the CJI announced the unveiling of the handbook.
“This is to assist judges and the legal community to identify, understand … stereotypes about women in legal discourse,” he said.
In a press release, the apex court said the ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ seeks to empower judges and members of the legal community to identify, understand and counteract harmful stereotypes about women.
“The handbook features a glossary of gender-unjust terms and proposes alternative words and phrases for use in legal documents, including pleadings, orders, and judgments. The compilation identifies common stereotypes about women and demonstrates the inaccuracies of these stereotypes and how they can impact the application of the law,” the release said.
It said the handbook also encapsulates the prevailing legal doctrine on crucial issues, particularly those involving sexual violence. |
