Supreme Court launches handbook to eliminate gender-biased legal terms such as eve-teasing, housewife

New Delhi, August 16:  The legal lexicon could soon see the removal of words like eve-teasing, prostitute, and housewife, to be replaced by more inclusive terms such as street sexual harassment, sex worker, and homemaker. The Supreme Court on Wednesday unveiled a handbook, presenting a glossary of gender-biased terms and proposing alternative language for use.

Upon the convening of a five-judge Bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to address a series of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Justice announced the unveiling of the handbook. He stated, "This initiative aims to aid judges and the legal fraternity in recognising, comprehending...preconceived notions about women within legal discussions."

In a press release, the Supreme 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.

"In its entirety, the handbook aims to equip judges with the knowledge and tools to critically evaluate their own reasoning, writing and to ensure that justice is served fairly and equitably," the release said, adding it is a significant step towards a gender- just legal order.

In the 30-page handbook, the Supreme Court has compiled a roster of stereotypical terminology and provided substitute expressions to be employed in legal discussions and court decisions.

The handbook says that instead of using words such as "seductress", "whore" or "woman of loose morals", the word "woman" has to be used. It also prohibits use of words like "hooker" and "prostitute" and said the term "sex worker" be used instead.

The handbook specifies that the term "concubine or keep" should be replaced with the phrase "woman with whom a man has had romantic or sexual relations outside of marriage."

"Housewife" will now become "homemaker" for judicial discourses, it said, adding that word "mistress" be now described as "woman with whom a man has had romantic or sexual relations outside of marriage".

Instead of word "bastard", the word "non-marital child or, a child whose parents were not married" should be used.