Indian judges are chauvinistic, finds 14-year study

Women's rights activists all over India may be outraged that a Supreme Court judge referred to a woman as a 'keep', but some say they are not surprised at the use of such offensive language by a member of the judiciary.

"Our society as a whole is not lacks gender sensitivity, but this is unpardonable coming from a judge. It has been established over decades that judges have stereotypical notions about women and gender. This is further proof that little has changed," says women's rights activist Padma Deosthali.

A 1996 survey conducted by a Delhi-based NGO Sakshi revealed that Indian courtrooms were rife with chauvinism and gender insensitivity. In the study titled, Gender and Judges: A Judicial Point of View, 109 judges from the Supreme Court, district courts and high courts in five Indian cities were surveyed.

A whopping 90% of the judges said they would not opt for legal redress if a female relative was a victim of violence, 74% said the family's preservation should be a woman's primary concern even if there is violence in the marriage, 64% believed women must share blame for violence, 68% felt provocative clothes are an invitation to sexual assault, and so on.

"Judges seem to be more conservative than the common man and have primitive notions of a 'good woman', what her role in society should be and the concept of culture. They need to be more connected with reality and inclusive," points out women's rights activist Vibhuti Patel who believes that perceptions will change and women will get justice only when Indian judges let go of their prejudices.