Maintenance Of Wife: Whether Sec.125 Needs To Be Gender Neutral?

Geetika Dev, BA LL. B, Christ Academy Institute of Law, Bengaluru

Introduction

Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been much debated in today's changing society. This section deals with the legal requirement that spouses, children and parents provide financial support when they are unable to support themselves. However, there is a growing debate about whether this law should be updated to be gender neutral.

Gender neutral means that the law would apply equally to everyone, regardless of whether they are male or female. Supporters of this change argue that as society evolves, laws should evolve as well. They believe that just like women, men can also find themselves in situations where they need financial support from their wives. This change is seen as an opportunity to ensure justice and equality in the law.

On the other hand, making Section 125 gender neutral requires consideration of various factors. These include not only legal considerations, but also social and cultural beliefs that have existed for a long time. Changing this law would require a careful study of these factors and possibly changing other related laws.