The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : CJ stresses on change of attitude towards girl child

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Saturday, Mar 08, 2008
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CJ stresses on change of attitude towards girl child

Staff Reporter

‘Sons and daughters should be treated equally’

BANGALORE: Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph has asked women to retain their feminine quality while trying to be equal to men.

“Men and women are equal but not identical. This is what Mahatma Gandhi has said,” Mr. Cyriac Joseph said, and added: “I do not want my daughter to speak with me like my son, and my sister to behave like my brother. There is something that is special with you … retain the feminine quality,” he said.

Speaking at International Women’s Day celebration held at Advocates’ Association here on Friday, Mr. Cyriac Joseph emphasised on the ways in which women can be empowered.

Firstly, there should be change in the attitude towards the girl child. “We should learn to love a child whether it is a boy or a girl.” Parents should educate their daughters and lend support in the same way as they do to their sons.

Women should be permitted to take up jobs depending on their ability and talent.

Dig at media

Taking potshots on the media’s coverage of women, the Chief Justice said the media, as has been with society in general, is ignoring women’s intellectual accomplishments and concentrating on their physical aspects. “Look at the type of photographs of the women’s tennis tournament that are appearing in the newspapers … What is printed is not the force of the serve or the volley … you know what they are showing. This indicates the attitude of society.” Karnataka High Court judge B.V. Nagaratna stressed on certain safeguards that women needed.

She said not much had been done in setting up hearing committees for women employees to air about harassments at workplaces as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Senior advocate Shoba Patil and Assistant Director of Forensic Science Laboratory S. Malini spoke.

Protest

Earlier, Women’s Voice and National Alliance of Women jointly organised a protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue to press for immediate passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

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