Today, when we look back at the pages of history, we proudly say - 'Our country has changed. Our country is changing and our country is moving forward. New infrastructure and big buildings do not define a country. Apart from this, there are many aspects which show the greatness of a country.
According to me, the progress of a country is equally dependent on its women and the basis of their empowerment, the condition of the country changes.
Although India still has many big things to do on this path and there are many achievements which have a long way to achieve, it would not be wrong to say that this year we saw some decisions being made in favour of women.
This year, the Supreme Court took some landmark judgments that upheld women's rights and instilled a sense of hope for a better tomorrow for women.
Before the year ends, let's take a look at the landmark decisions that gave us hope that women's rights will no longer be unheard of.
1- Women got the right to an abortion
This decision was taken on September 29 this year. Under this decision, the court stated that all women, regardless of their marital status, would be entitled to safe and legal abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
A bench headed by Justices DY Chandrachud, AS Bopanna and JB Pardiwala, said on this decision- 'Depriving women of autonomy not only over their bodies but also over their lives would be an insult to their dignity.'
2- Women of the tribal family are entitled to equality in property
A female tribal member is entitled to an equal share of the family property. The court said in the judgment- 'When the daughter of a non-tribal can be entitled to an equal share in the father's property, there is no reason to deny such a right to a tribal daughter.' To this, the bench directed the Center to consider amendments to the Hindu Succession Act to make it applicable to people belonging to the Scheduled Tribes
3- Right to wear hijab
You remember the Karnataka case in which school students were asked to remove their hijab. Even in this long-standing debate, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of women. Under the judgement, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia opined that the religious garment Hijab is a fundamental right which is linked to the dignity and privacy of a girl child. This also applies within the school premises.
Asking girls to remove their hijab is nothing less than an invasion of their privacy and dignity. Despite the headscarf being a religious practice, it is still considered a matter of conscious belief and expression, which cannot be denied.
4- Strict case on dowry death
In a case related to the death of a woman allegedly due to dowry pressure, the Supreme Court in August ruled that 'the offence of dowry death is a crime against society'. Such crimes have a serious impact on society.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna said in the judgment, 'Considering the above aspects, the punishment for the offence of dowry death needs to be considered. A strong message should go out in society that a person who commits dowry death and/or an offence under the Dowry Prohibition Act will be dealt with strictly.
5- Strong condemnation of 2 finger test
Taking a historic decision, a bench of Justices StisChandrachud and HimaKohli said, 'The use of 'two-finger test' in rape and sexual harassment cases is wrong. There is no scientific basis for this test. Justice Chandrachud also said that this test reflects patriarchal thinking
6- Women have equal rights with men in the army
In a legal battle that lasted for over 12 years, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of 32 former women Indian Air Force officers who had served in the Short Service Commission (SSC).
The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition by 34 women officers on December 9, asked the Army to 'set its house in order'. The petition alleged that junior male officers were being promoted over them for 'combat and commanding roles' in the army.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha, while delivering the verdict, had said, "We find that you (Army) have not been fair to these women officers." You better put your house in order and tell us what you are doing for them.'
Not only this but three women were also sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court this year. This shows that now the change in the face of women's rights in the country will be visible rapidly.
Image Credit: Freepik
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