Is the judiciary system biased toward one sex?

“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” ― Rebecca West

Once upon a time, when society was divided by classes and ruled by patriarchy, women were oppressed as the weaker sex on the grounds of physical strength. Although history indicates that women were the first agriculturists, inventors, and multi-taskers who looked after their household chores and children while the men had the role of hunter, the job of a woman was always undermined. The oppression did not happen in a day and probably not without the women submitting, but it has also taken years for women to fight out of it. The society that we live in is finally becoming kinder and more empathetic towards women and we ought to be grateful for those revolutionaries in the past who broke the chains.

Many governments recognize the need to educate a woman to help them grow into their own independent being and created laws to protect them. Since the society had an underlying problem of gender discriminatory laws, bias, and stereotyping, certain laws exist inclined toward females to bridge the gap. Yet, it has turned into a double-edged sword.

“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” ― Gloria Steinem

It is upsetting to see the rise of crimes against women and girls – especially sexual abuse, grooming, and harassment. Mothers and fathers are tired of protecting their children from the unknown ( and the known ) and yet there are people who always take the bias to their advantage. When the world was patriarchal, a woman was not allowed to talk – if she did, she was a bitch. Now that we’re moving towards equality as many feminists aspire, a woman’s word is given greater power regardless of its truth. For those victims of abuse who truly suffered, this power brought them justice but now there are abusers of power who make us question justice. At this point, we are sure that gender stereotyping isn’t factually valid anymore.

Although inherent sexism suggests that women have evolved to be more empathetic and able to care than men, that does not mean that they are not capable of abusing and exploiting power. Expanding beyond the binary, we are only enraged by cases that we are used to – a man abusing a woman. We are blinded by the assumption that a woman can never ‘rape’ a man and without consent in the picture, a man is usually enjoying the ride. While it is ‘normal’ for us to listen to stories of older men abusing young girls, it is unusual to even imagine a female pedophile. We’ve been subconsciously conditioned to raise up when it is a ‘male raping a female’ but casually ignore it when it’s the other way around, or homophobic. Homophobia is still a new concept in the country and thus crimes related to it are rarely in the light. The truth is a woman is no less violent, malevolent, or manipulative compared to a man, but the sensationalized news and media have confined our thoughts.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned – The Mourning Bride

In these modern times that advocate equality, women have grown financially independent, and aware of their choices which have unhooked them from the holds of men. Many youngsters have started questioning the need for an institution of marriage that used to be a safety net all these years. But, many laws still presume that women are dependent on men for their livelihoods, and thus, the concept of alimonies. Lately, I have been observing many fake cases of divorce targeted mainly for a lump sum settlement. Taking the bias to their advantage, many corrupt minds who think money is everything have been winning these court cases or blackmailing their spouse for an out-of-court settlement. This is really concerning because it undermines the case of a real woman who is suffering in a violent household.

Ever since the #meToo movement to the recent defamation case of Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard, the debate has been on. Though sometimes the justice may stand far from the truth, there is a lesson for all of us not to blindly trust the allegations of anyone – a man or woman. We need to give enough power to those who are suffering but not so much that it could destroy careers and reputations that might be unredeemable.

I really wish that I could give a proper conclusion or at least a solution to this problem. But, there isn’t. Every case is so unique and every person has their own unique experiences and demons, there is no one go-to solution. We all have our own darkness inside us, but what makes us better humans is how much of that darkness you don’t let slip. We can only educate ourselves to be aware of dealing with such situations if it ever arises.

#feminism #feminaxi #femalepower #genderlaws #genderinequality #womanpower #rape #abuseofpower