KOCHI: Kerala High Court on Friday observed that while substantial empowerment of women is taking place in the public sphere in the state, there has been little progress in private spheres such as religious institutions and the home. True empowerment, the court noted, must begin at home, and men must be sensitised to understand and respect the real power of women.
“After the Sabarimala case, a new perspective on women’s empowerment emerged in Kerala. The judgment upheld women’s rights and constitutional morality, allowing them to break age-old traditions by entering the temple. However, if you recall, there was strong opposition to the Supreme Court’s directions—even from women themselves—who formed a human chain in protest. This reflects a contradiction in the women’s movement: while progress is visible in the public sphere, there is no substantial empowerment in the private sphere,” said a Division Bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice C S Sudha.
The court made the remarks while hearing the cases about the Justice K Hema Committee report.
The court asked the nodal officer appointed for the investigation into the complaints registered based on the Hema Committee to ensure that the complainants are not harassed by the accused or any others.
A counsel for one of the victims submitted that she was being harassed continually by a group of people by filing complaints against her and were trying to mediate the issue under the cover of the complaints. The persons against whom she had filed complaints had come together with a view to intimidating her. She has already complained to the nodal officer in this regard.
The court then said the whole idea behind the appointment of a nodal agency was that the complainants were not threatened because they had come forward to file complaints of sexual abuse. The nodal officer would look into such complaints made by the witnesses or victims. If they feel threatened, they should report to the nodal officer or call the officer, who will ensure that the complainants are protected.
Meanwhile, the government informed the court that it had been decided to conduct a conclave on cinema policy and legislation either in the last week of April or the first week of May.