After years of suffering at the hands of patriarchy and regressive triple talaq practice, Muslim women across the country are pinning their hopes on the Supreme Court.
From today, the apex court has started hearing final arguments challenging the constitutional validity of ‘triple talaq’, ‘nikah halala’ and polygamy practices among Muslims. However, the most significant tidbit about the matter is that a unique combination of five Supreme Court judges belonging to 5 different faiths will hear these pleas.
The court was being all-inclusive and that certainly is laudable, but one huge detail was missing!
Many Internet users were quick to sense the subtle irony that there was not even one woman judge in the panel, given that it’s primarily a women’s issue.
This also reminded us of the time when an image of US president Donald Trump signing an anti-abortion executive order while surrounded by men sparked outrage
However, coming back to India, the irony falls flat because there is just one female sitting judge in Supreme Court!
Yes, shocking as it sounds, among the 28 current sitting judges, there is only one sitting woman judge, Justice R Banumathi who was appointed in August 2014.
Since its inception in 1950, the Supreme Court of India has seen only six women judges on its benches. More so, because there aren’t enough women judges in India and even if they get considered for the Supreme Court, most of them fail to make the final cut.
“I fail to understand why there is an all-male team. There is no explanation coming from any authority, whether it is the Supreme Court, the government or the President on why no women judges have been found fit to be a Supreme Court judge,” Senior advocate Indira Jaising told Rediff.com recently.