NEW DELHI: It is the woman’s “choice” to either have a baby or abort and prevent pregnancy — it is her right, said Supreme Court judge A K Sikri on Saturday, while speaking about the dominant role played by men and families in imposing decisions on women.
“When we talk of reproductive rights in this country, then there is hardly any choice so far as the woman is concerned. I can’t help but wonder how we as humans have failed humanity,” Sikri said during a symposium — ‘Reproductive Rights In Indian Courts: Celebrating Progress, Identifying Challenges And Discussing The Way Forward’ — organised by the Jindal Global University here.
“I am perplexed as to how in the 21st century, with all the technological advances, becoming frequent guests in the (outer) space and creating artificial intelligence, we are still not able to bring our women to enjoy the fruits of humanity. That is the harsh reality,” he added.
“When we talk of reproductive rights in India, there again the choice is of the husband in the family or what the elders say...When there should be a child, whether that child should be male or female etc.,” he said. Justice Sikri also dealt with the practice of female foeticide and the role of men and families in it.