The Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association (SCWLA) has expressed “deep outrage” over a Holi event organised by the Kanpur Bar Association where lawyers were seen “filming, objectifying and commodifying” belly dancers invited to perform.
“This incident is shameful, reprehensible and utterly disgraceful, striking at the very foundation of professional ethics, constitutional morality and human dignity. The legal profession, which is entrusted with the sacred duty of upholding justice, equality and dignity, cannot and must not degenerate into a platform for misogyny, voyeurism and objectification of women,” SCWLA president Mahalakshmi Pavani and general secretary Prernaa Singh said in a joint statement.
The association accused the lawyers of “grave professional misconduct, gross moral depravity and serious ethical delinquency, warranting immediate disciplinary action”.
According to the SCWLA, such events create a hostile, unsafe, humiliating and deeply uncomfortable professional environment, particularly for women lawyers, interns, staff, and litigants. It normalises sexual objectification, legitimises harassment and institutionalises gender-insensitive behaviour within spaces that must remain neutral, respectful and dignified, it added.
It said the act of recording such performances and circulating them violated women’s dignity, autonomy and privacy, amounting to systematic exploitation masked as entertainment.
The SCWLA demanded a public apology from the Kanpur Bar Association and strict disciplinary proceedings against office-bearers and members responsible for organising the event.