Historic Indian Court Decision: Married Women Allowed to Watch Porn

In a landmark decision advancing gender equality, an Indian court ruled that watching porn is not grounds for divorce and affirmed that the right to privacy includes a wife’s sexual autonomy. India, the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion residents, remains largely conservative and patriarchal, often restricting women’s roles to child-rearing and supporting their husbands, who are traditionally seen as family providers. The High Court of Tamil Nadu, located in southern India, issued the ruling while reviewing an appeal from a man whose request for divorce was denied by a lower court. The appellant had sought legal action against his wife, accusing her of being addicted to self-pleasure through pornography consumption. The High Court dismissed his appeal, stating that ‘personal satisfaction is not forbidden fruit.’ The court emphasized in its decision, reviewed by the French Press Agency, that ‘male masturbation is globally recognized, and female masturbation should not carry stigma.’ A woman ‘retains her individuality’ even within marriage, and her ‘fundamental personal and feminine identity is not tied to her status as a spouse,’ according to the court. However, the court noted that addiction to pornography is ‘wrong’ and cannot be morally justified without violating the law. Divorce remains taboo in much of India, where only one out of every 100 marriages ends up in court. Individuals seeking divorce must obtain court approval, typically granted only upon evidence of domestic violence or excessive financial demands.