Amnesty India welcomes SC order on Sabarimala Temple

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International India Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's order to allow entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala, terming it a "laudable step" towards gender equality.

In a landmark verdict that gave a boost to gender equality, the Supreme Court Friday threw open the doors of Sabarimala Temple in Kerala to girls and women of all age groups by lifting the ban on the entry of those between the age of 10 and 50, holding this centuries-old Hindu religious practice is illegal and unconstitutional.

"The judgment is a welcome recognition of women's right to equal treatment. It questions age-old beliefs that exclude women based on notions of inferiority, patriarchy and ideologies of chastity and purity," Amnesty India Programmes Director Asmita Basu said in a statement.

She further said traditional, cultural and religious norms have long been used to justify violations against women, asserting that practices that perpetuate the subjugation of women and harmful gender stereotypes must be ended.