To discourage judges from using stereotypical language in their rulings, the Supreme Court on Wednesday released a guide that includes a list of terms that are gender discriminatory and are not to be used further.
The manual provides judges with alternative terminology to use in place of some terms that have since been designated as improper and which promote stereotypes.
The phrase "street sexual harassment" will take the place of "eve-teasing," and "sex worker" will be used in place of "prostitute," the handbook states.
(Image Source: PTI)
In its handbook, the Supreme Court presented a number of details in tabular format.
It described the stereotypes that are frequently used to describe men and women in the context of sex and sexual violence and highlighted why such presumptions are incorrect.
“Assumptions are often made about a woman’s character based on her expressive choices (e.g., the clothes she wears) and sexual history. These assumptions may also impact how her actions and statements are assessed in judicial proceedings. Assumptions based on a woman’s character or the clothes she wears diminish the importance of consent in sexual relationships as well as the agency and personhood of women,” it said.
According to the handbook, it is a misconception that women who wear non-traditional clothing want to have sex with men, and if a guy touches such a woman without her agreement, it is her mistake.
The truth is that a woman's clothing or apparel does not suggest that she wants to have sex with you or that you are welcome to touch her. Women can communicate vocally with others, and the clothes they wear are a kind of self-expression that is unrelated to issues of sexual orientation. A man who touches a woman without getting her permission must not be able to claim that she invited the touch because of the way she dressed explained the book.
According to the manual, it is a stereotype to believe that women who have been sexually attacked or raped by men cry uncontrollably, are depressed, or have thoughts of suicide, and if a woman's behavior deviates from this expectation, she is lying when she claims to have been raped.
The manual stated that the reality is that various people react to stressful circumstances in several different ways.
Further instances of stereotypes against women about sex and sexual assault were also presented in the manual.
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
