Gender Bias in the Indian Penal Code

The Indian Penal Code gives the substantive aspects that would guide the criminal law in the country. It provides a general penal code for India . Looking back at 1860, the society was very distinct from what we see today. The Indian society has been largely patriarchal and various laws in the IPC have been made in the favour of women. Further amendments have also been appreciated in the context of ensuring that women get proper protection from the judicial system. However, we come across bias in the code, where the provisions are gender specific, and thus, these provisions have failed to adapt and function at par with how the circumstances of the society have changed . In this article, we discuss the gender bias in the provisions of IPC, the principle of gender neutrality and what repercussions do we face today.