Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Fighting stereotypes: On the Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes

Fighting stereotypes: On the Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes

Court guidelines on gender typecasting can be a catalyst (उत्प्रेरक, प्रोत्साहन) for change

In the quest for (की तलाश में) equal rights for all, the Supreme Court of India has taken an important step by releasing guidelines to take on (fight, face, combat, oppose, challenge, confront) harmful gender stereotypes (लैंगिक रूढ़िवाद) that perpetuate inequalities (असमानता). Laying down a set of dos and don’ts for judicial decision-making and writing, the Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes helps judges identify language (भाषा, शब्दांकन) that promotes archaic (ancient, old, obsolete, out of date, outmoded, outdated) and “incorrect ideas”, about women in particular (विशेष रूप से), and offers alternative words and phrases. Instead of “affair (relationship, romance, flirtation, attachment)”, it will be de rigueur (French phrase meaning ” according to strict etiquette”; prescribed or required because of etiquette, fashion and etc) to say a “relationship outside of marriage”; similarly, for “adulteress”, the preferred usage is a “woman who has engaged in sexual relations outside of marriage”. A host of derogatory (अपमानजनक) and seemingly (प्रतीत होता है, प्रकट रूप से) mild adjectives (विशेषण) have been dropped (exclude, discard, abandon, forgo, get rid of) too while referring to women. For instance (उदाहरण के लिए), it is no longer (used to say when something is true in the past but it is not true now; no more, not any more) “chaste (पवित्र)” woman, “dutiful (कर्तव्यनिष्)” wife, “housewife”; a plain “woman”, “wife” and “homemaker” will do. Men have not been forgotten either, with the Court striking down words such as “effeminate (womanish, girly, unmanly, foppish/affected)” (when used pejoratively (अपमानजनक ढंग से)), and “faggot (a gay man)”, with the directive (निर्देश, आदेश), “accurately describe the individual’s sexual orientation (the emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person) (e.g. homosexual or bisexual)”. Pointing out (point out) that stereotypes — “a set idea that people have about what someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong” — leads to exclusion (rejection, banishment, expulsion, prohibition) and discrimination (prejudice, bias/bigotry, intolerance/inequity), it identifies common presumptions about the way sexual harassment (oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation), assault, rape and other violent crimes are viewed, skewed against women.

One of the stereotypes the Court shatters (demolish, destroy, wipe out, overturn, crush) is women who do not wear traditional clothes and smoke or drink are asking for trouble, and drives home (make someone realize, make someone understand, make someone aware of; draw attention to, underline, highlight, emphasize) the important point of consent (approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, concurrence). It also firmly asserts (maintain, declare, claim, profess, state, affirm, avow, insist strongly/firmly) that women who are sexually assaulted may not be able to immediately report the traumatic (painful, distressing, disturbing) incident. Courts should take social realities and other challenges facing women seriously, it says. It is wrong, the Court adds, to assume women are “overly (unduly, excessively, inordinately, immoderately, exceedingly) emotional, illogical, and cannot take decisions”. It is also a stereotypical presumption that all women want to have children, says the handbook, and points out, “deciding to become a parent is an individual choice”. These possibilities, to be able to choose what to do in life, are still frustratingly (annoyingly, disturbingly, irritatingly, exasperatingly) out of reach (unreachable, unattainable, unachievable, inaccessible, unobtainable, elusive) for most of India’s women. In a largely (mostly, mainly, generally; to a large extent) patriarchal (relating to cultures or societies that are controlled/headed by men) society, girls are often forced to pick marriage as a way out to avoid social stigma (shame, disgrace, dishonour, discredit; Stigma occurs when society labels someone as disgraced or less desirable. Stigma involves three elements; a lack of knowledge (ignorance), negative attitudes (prejudice) and people behaving in ways that disadvantage the stigmatised person (discrimination)), and not education and a career. Even if things are changing, the pace is slow. To achieve gender equality (gender parity; It is the view that everyone should receive equal treatment and not be discriminated against based on their gender), fundamental changes need to be made to shun (reject, avoid, dismiss, refuse, distain, spurn, decline, brush off, abstain from, stay away from) all stereotypes. That women are more nurturing and better suited to care for others, and should do all household (family, house) chores (a (small) job/task that is done regularly; domestic job) are simply wrong notions (concept, idea, belief, thought, consideration). The handbook may be a guide for judges and lawyers, but it could also be a catalyst for change right down to (in a way that includes even (the smallest/least important part of something)) the societal (relating to society or social relations; public) level.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Gender stereotypes (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लैंगिक रूढ़िवाद
English Meaning - it is a generalised view or preconception about attributes, or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by men and women. Gender stereotypes can be both positive and negative for example, “women are nurturing” or “women are weak”.

2.catalyst (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्प्रेरक, प्रोत्साहन
English Meaning - stimulus, motivation, fillip/encouragement.

3.in the quest for (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - की तलाश में
English Meaning - in the search for.

4.inequality (noun)

Hindi Meaning - असमानता
English Meaning - Inequality is simply defined as “the state of not being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities; imbalance, unevenness, disproportion, disparity.

5.language (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भाषा, शब्दांकन
English Meaning - wording, phrasing, expressions, vocabulary, parlance.

6.in particular (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - विशेष रूप से
English Meaning - particularly, specifically, especially.

7.derogatory (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अपमानजनक
English Meaning - disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, insulting; offensive, abusive.

8.seemingly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतीत होता है, प्रकट रूप से
English Meaning - apparently, allegedly, ostensibly, supposedly, purportedly.

9.adjective (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विशेषण
English Meaning - a word that modifies or describes a noun (and a pronoun).

10.for instance (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - उदाहरण के लिए
English Meaning - as an example.

11.chaste (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पवित्र
English Meaning - unmarried, virgin,

12.dutiful (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कर्तव्यनिष्‍ठ
English Meaning - responsible, dedicated, faithful, conscientious, respectful.

13.pejoratively (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अपमानजनक ढंग से
English Meaning - disapprovingly, contemptuously, disparagingly.

14.directive (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्देश, आदेश
English Meaning - instruction, direction, order, law, ordinance, regulation.

15.point out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - इशारा करना
English Meaning - indicate, identify, specify, mention.

16.stereotype (noun)

English Meaning - a generalized belief about a particular group (of people). Groups are often stereotyped on the basis of sex, gender identity, race and ethnicity, nationality, age, socioeconomic status, language, and so forth; a preconceived notion, conventional image, standard image, cliché, hackneyed idea, typecasting.

17.handbook (noun)

English Meaning - manual, instructions, guidebook, directory.

18.typecasting (noun)

English Meaning - an act of repeatedly identifying or representing someone as a stereotype; categorization.

19.take on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - fight, face, combat, oppose, challenge, confront.

20.perpetuate (verb)

English Meaning - cause to continue something indefinitely, particularly a bad situation, an attitude/idea/belief, etc.; keep going, keep in existence, extend/prolong.

21.lay down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - formulate, stipulate, set down, draw up, frame.

22.archaic (adjective)

English Meaning - ancient, old, obsolete, out of date, outmoded, outdated.

23.affair (noun)

English Meaning - relationship, romance, flirtation, attachment.

24.de rigueur (adjective)

English Meaning - French phrase meaning ” according to strict etiquette”; prescribed or required because of etiquette, fashion and etc.

25.adulteress (noun)

English Meaning - a woman who commits extramarital relations/sex; a woman who engages in sexual relations outside of marriage.

26.a host of (noun)

English Meaning - a lot, large number, great quantity.

27.drop (verb)

English Meaning - exclude, discard, abandon, forgo, get rid of.

28.no longer (phrase)

English Meaning - used to say when something is true in the past but it is not true now; no more, not any more.

29.strike down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).

30.effeminate (adjective)

English Meaning - womanish, girly, unmanly, foppish/affected.

31.faggot (noun)

English Meaning - a gay man.

32.sexual orientation (noun)

English Meaning - the emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person.

33.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - cause, result in, give rise to, bring on, bring about.

34.exclusion (noun)

English Meaning - rejection, banishment, expulsion, prohibition.

35.discrimination (noun)

English Meaning - prejudice, bias/bigotry, intolerance/inequity.

36.presumption (noun)

English Meaning - assumption, supposition, belief/expectation, conclusion.

37.harassment (noun)

English Meaning - oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.

38.sexual assault (noun)

English Meaning - sexual misconduct, sexual interference, physical violence, sexual offence.

39.skew (verb)

English Meaning - change, distort, alter, misrepresent.

40.shatter (verb)

English Meaning - demolish, destroy, wipe out, overturn, crush.

41.ask for trouble (phrase)

English Meaning - to do something or behave in a way that could cause a problem.

42.drive (something) home (phrase)

English Meaning - make someone realize, make someone understand, make someone aware of; draw attention to, underline, highlight, emphasize.

43.consent (noun)

English Meaning - approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, concurrence.

44.assert (verb)

English Meaning - maintain, declare, claim, profess, state, affirm, avow, insist strongly/firmly.

45.traumatic (adjective)

English Meaning - painful, distressing, disturbing.

46.social reality (noun)

English Meaning - the attitudes, beliefs and opinions that are held by the members of a society or a group.

47.overly (adverb)

English Meaning - unduly, excessively, inordinately, immoderately, exceedingly.

48.frustratingly (adverb)

English Meaning - annoyingly, disturbingly, irritatingly, exasperatingly.

49.out of reach (phrase)

English Meaning - unreachable, unattainable, unachievable, inaccessible, unobtainable, elusive.

50.largely (adverb)

English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally; to a large extent.

51.patriarchal (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to cultures or societies that are controlled/headed by men.

52.way out (noun)

English Meaning - a method of dealing with a problem; solution.

53.stigma (noun)

English Meaning - shame, disgrace, dishonour, discredit; Stigma occurs when society labels someone as disgraced or less desirable. Stigma involves three elements; a lack of knowledge (ignorance), negative attitudes (prejudice) and people behaving in ways that disadvantage the stigmatised person (discrimination).

54.gender equality (noun)

English Meaning - gender parity; It is the view that everyone should receive equal treatment and not be discriminated against based on their gender.

55.shun (verb)

English Meaning - reject, avoid, dismiss, refuse, distain, spurn, decline, brush off, abstain from, stay away from.

56.nurture (verb)

English Meaning - bring up, care for, take care of, look after, raise, encourage, foster, support, strengthen.

57.household (noun)

English Meaning - family, house.

58.chore (noun)

English Meaning - a (small) job/task that is done regularly; domestic job.

59.notion (noun)

English Meaning - concept, idea, belief, thought, consideration.

60.(right) down to (phrase)

English Meaning - in a way that includes even (the smallest/least important part of something).

61.societal (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to society or social relations; public.