Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Selina John, an army nurse, was fired in 1988 when she got married. The SC has ruled this gender discrimination, and that she must be reinstated and paid compensation for the lost years
26 years is too long to wait, but this time the wait is worth it!
Ex. Lt. Selina John, who was a permanent commissioned officer in the Military Nursing Service, was removed from army service in 1988 on the ground that she had got married. The career of women is as it is tied to a thin string. She has to face criticism from her family, being judged by those deeply ingrained patriarchal thoughts. On top of it, if workplaces create biases like this, there is hardly any hope!
But the Supreme Court announced a historical decision yesterday (21/02/24) Being married cannot be a reason for expelling a woman from work. This leads to gender bias and inequality. We are in 2024, and carrying these patriarchal thoughts would only tighten the shackles and barriers for women.
If a woman does not get married, society keeps traumatizing her, reminding her of the biological clock, increasing age, and other factors. However, if workplaces come up with biases like these, it only adds to the long list of issues that women already have in their lives and are dealing with.
“Acceptance of such a patriarchal rule undermines human dignity and right to non-discrimination,” the court said while hearing an appeal by the Centre challenging an Armed Forces Tribunal order for her reinstatement.
Bringing 26 years of the legal battle of the woman officer to an end, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta directed that Lt Selina John be paid the amount as a full and final settlement of all the claims. Her job was terminated as per the Army Instruction No. 61 of 1977 titled “Terms and Conditions of Service for the Grant of Permanent Commissions in the Military Nursing Service”, but it was withdrawn in 1995 when the litigation was pending.
“Laws and regulations based on gender-based bias are constitutionally impermissible. Rules making marriage of women employees and their domestic involvement a ground for disentitlement would be unconstitutional,” the court added.
How convenient it is to put women in this fix and make them a kettle of fish; Neither letting them marry nor letting them work! Not sure if these 26 years can be reimbursed by the monetary compensation provided by the system. But, thanks to Selina for being hopeful and struggling for 26 long years, at least the Supreme Court had a change of thought. Now it’s employers’ and society’s turn to accept this change.
A mother, homemaker, self-published author, founder, and podcast host at Authoropod. read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
Please enter your email address