Till 2002, khaki sari was the uniform of women in the Kerala Police. But N.A. Vinaya, who joined the force in 1991, refused to wear sari which she found “difficult and embarrassing” while on duty. She wore pants and a tucked-in shirt like her male counterparts, which invited ire from her male as well as female colleagues.
In 2002, the then DGP issued a circular by changing the uniform of women in police from sari to bush shirts. However, they were not allowed to tuck in their shirts and were directed to wear belts outside the shirts.
Ms. Vinaya challenged the DGP’s circular in the court alleging that it was “discriminatory and anti-constitutional.” She was issued a memo for disobeying the order of the higher officer and wearing tuck-in uniform. She replied: “A person has the right to disobey an order which is anti-constitutional.” This was one of the many legal battles Ms. Vinaya has fought for gender equality both in the force and society.
