Treaty on women's rights changed laws in India: Sujata Manohar

Betwa Sharma
United Nations, Dec 3 (PTI) The UN right treaty to
eliminate all forms of discrimination against women has helped
in changing the "perception of discrimination" against women
in all areas within India, Justice Sujata Manohar said.

Speaking at the UN on the 30th anniversary of the
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW), Manohar cited the 1997 landmark case of
Vishaka v State of Rajasthan to explain how treaty had
impacted the Supreme Court's interpretation of the right to
equality guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.
"Education and economic opportunities are the key
areas of women's empowerment and sexual harassment denies to
women equality of opportunities in both these vital areas,"
the retired Supreme Court judge told journalists here.
"That is probably the reason why the Supreme Court of
India decided to entertain public interest litigation on
sexual harassment in 1997," she added.
In this case the court ruled that sexual harassment
was a denial of equality at the workplace. In the absence of
any law on the subject in India the court also laid down
guidelines for the prevention of and taking action against
sexual harassment.
"This was the first time that CEDAW was used by the
Supreme Court to explain the ambit of fundamental rights of
equality and non-discrimination," Manohar said, pointing out
that India's example had recently been emulated in Bangladesh.
CEDAW was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979
and came into force in 1981. (More) PTI BS
ANU


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