Gender unjust terms.

Gender unjust terms are may soon go out of the legal lexicon as the Supreme Court has launched a new handbook to go after gender stereotypes prejudicial to women. This is to assist judges and the legal community to identify, understand  and combat stereotypes about women in legal discourse.

Incorrect Language and Their Alternatives

* Adulteress. Woman engaged in sexual relations outside of marriage.

* Affair. Relationship outside marriage.

* Bastard. Non-marital child or child whose parents were not married.

* Biological sex/biological male/biological female. Sex assigned at birth.

* Born a girl/boy. Assigned female/male at birth.

* Career woman. Woman.

* Carnal intercourse. Sexual intercourse.

* Chaste woman. Woman.

* Child prostitute. Child who has been trafficked.

* Dutiful wife/faithful wife/good or obedient wife. Wife.

* Eve-teasing. Street sexual harassment.

* Fallen woman. Woman.

* Forcible rape. Rape.

* Hooker. Sex worker.

* Housewife. Homemaker.

* Indian woman/Western woman. Woman.

* Marriageable age. A woman who has attained the legal age required to marry.

* Prostitute. Sex worker.

* Provider/Breadwinner. Employed or earning.

* Unwed Mother. Mother.

Two notable observations.

* While such gender stereotyping ought to be purged from the general discourse, the SC looked inward and sought to begin the clean up from within the system.

* The handbook has been prepared by a panel headed by Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court.

My take.

The Supreme Court has taken the step of restoring the dignity of women.

Tailpiece.

Got up half an hour earlier than my usual waking time, the chores and was ready by10. 

Today's the first day of the Malayalam month of Chingam. Did the aarathi of the house and that of Lekha.

Plumber Bijeesh comes and repairs the sink in the work area.

I need to reach Neelamperoor only by 0800 hrs on the 19th. 

A quiet day.