Women Athletes With Disabilities To be Treated With Equality and Dignity: Madras HC

The Madras High Court has directed the Union Sports Ministry and the Tamil Nadu state government to ensure that all women athletes are treated with dignity without any discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, colour, age, disability, religion, belief, culture and birth.

Disposing of a writ petition filed by M Sameeha Barvin, an athlete with a 90 per cent hearing disability who was eligible for the World Deaf Athletics Championship and was not selected on the ground that she was the only woman athlete in the team.

“This is a case of discrimination based on the gender as well as the disability, due to which the petitioner has faced several disabilities and barriers to participate in the international event,” mentioned Justice R Mahadevan in his order that highlights the need to streamline policies and processes to ensure women athletes are treated with equality and dignity.

Provision of adequate financial assistance, free medical services, a proper selection process to ensure fair participation are a few of the directions that have been issued by the court. Women should feel safe and secure, and must be provided with disabled-friendly materials, clothes, prosthetics and other things that may be required, added the judge. Sensitization of male counterparts on concepts of equality and safety is also a crucial step towards achieving this equality, mentions the statement.