Assumptions made about woman's character based on clothing, sexual history: SC handbook

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

woman's character based on her expressive choices like her clothes and sexual history, and distinguished between the stereotypes and the reality concerning sex and sexual violence. The top court provided several details in tabular form in its handbook which was launched on Wednesday. It contains a glossary of gender unjust terms and phrases and suggests alternative words for being used in judicial discourses and decision making.

In one of the illustrative lists, it detailed the stereotypes that are often applied to men and women in the context of sex and sexual violence and explained as to why such assumptions are wrong. «Assumptions are often made about a woman's character based on her expressive choices (e.g., the clothes she wears) and sexual history. These assumptions may also impact how her actions and statements are assessed in judicial proceedings.

Assumptions based on a woman's character or the clothes she wears diminish the importance of consent in sexual relationships as well as the agency and personhood of women,» it said. It is a stereotype that women who dress in clothes that are not considered to be traditional want to engage in sexual relations with men and if a man touches such a woman without her consent, it is her fault, the handbook said. The reality is «the clothing or attire of a woman neither indicates that she wishes to engage in sexual relations nor is it an invitation to touch her.