In a significant move towards gender equality, the Bombay High Court has declared that the medieval concept of denying single, working women the opportunity to adopt a child is unacceptable. The court has paved the way for women like Shabnamjahan Ansari, a 47-year-old teacher, to become adoptive parents.
The court ruling came after Ansari challenged a lower court’s decision denying her application to adopt her four-year-old niece. The lower court cited Ansari’s marital status and job as reasons for rejecting her application. However, the High Court noted that such reasoning was “unfounded, illegal, perverse, unjust, and unacceptable.”
Justice Gauri Godse, who headed the bench, said that a single parent who is a working person cannot be considered ineligible to be an adoptive parent. This ruling upholds the principle that working women have the same rights and abilities as men to provide a nurturing home for children.
This landmark ruling by the Bombay High Court has removed the discriminatory barriers that had previously prevented single, working women from adopting children. It paves the way for other women to follow in Ansari’s footsteps and become loving, adoptive parents.
The decision is a positive step forward in the fight for gender equality, allowing women to pursue their dreams of motherhood regardless of their marital status or occupation. It is a testament to the fact that every child deserves a loving and caring home, regardless of who their parent is.
This ruling is a significant victory for working women, and it is hoped that it will set a precedent for future court cases. It sends a clear message that women are equally capable of providing a stable and nurturing environment for children, and their marital status or career should not be a barrier to adoption.
