In a novel development, the SC changes its gender stereotypes handbook to make it more inclusive by replacing the term ‘sex worker’ with ‘trafficked survivor.’ The change was made in response to complaints from several anti-trafficking organizations.
By using a generic term like sex worker, one may be assuming that all women engaged in commercial sexual activity may be in this out of free and positive choice. It negates the reality that most women enter the trade through force or fraud and many remain in it out of negative choice due to lack of better alternatives.
A group of anti-trafficking NGOs wrote to India’s Chief Justice, Justice DY Chandrachud, pointing out that using the term ‘sex worker’ for terms like ‘hooker and prostitute’ could end up perpetuating another set of gender stereotypes. This amendment was made by the Supreme Court to refer to a woman engaged in ‘commercial sexual activity’ or a woman ‘forced into commercial sexual exploitation.’
The NGOs who petitioned the CJI to reevaluate the use of the term ‘sex worker’ in the court’s August 2023 publication ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ are-
ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi) from Goa,
Prayas from Mumbai,
Prerana from Maharashtra,
KIDS from Karnataka,
Nedan from Assam,
VIPLA from Maharashtra,
SPID from Delhi, and
New Life Foundation from Manipur
