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.
The court, however, agreed to Ms. Vinaya’s argument and she got back the three increments which were cut as disciplinary action. In 2014, the police force itself officially adopted the gender-neutral uniform.
The entire life of Ms. Vinaya, now sub-inspector of the Thrissur Rural Women’s police station and also the station house officer (SHO) there, has been a crusade for the cause of women’s rights. Each of her interventions disturbed the patriarchal social models. Ms. Vinaya, who had been instrumental in many path-breaking changes for gender equality in Kerala, is retiring from service on May 31.
Kerala started to learn about about Ms. Vinaya in 2002. Women were not allowed to take part in the march past at the Kerala State Police Meet at that time. She questioned the practice. At last, three of them were allowed to participate in the march past. However, the points they earned in the competitions were not counted in the final score. There were only “friendly matches” for women. Ms. Vinaya laid down on the track in protest.
The incident led to her suspension and later dismissal. However, she was reinstated into the service following public protest the same year. Later, women became part of the competitions in the police force.
“The term ‘gender-neutral’ became popular in the State after my case against gender discrimination in government application forms in 1999. The forms used to ask names of only father and husband, never the mother and wife. The registers used to have names of men/boys first, then only that of girls/women. It was discriminatory. People did not even realise the importance of my complaint. Many dismissed it as nonsense,” she says.
But the High Court in 2001 directed all departments to make application forms gender-neutral. Though she received a favourable order in 2001, it was implemented only in 2009. “I had to file contempt of court cases thrice,” she notes. A circular was issued by the administrative reforms committee only in 2022. The forms were reframed and registers were rearranged in alphabetical order.
Three suspensions and a dismissal in the 32-year-long service had only strengthened Ms. Vinaya as a police officer. “The force still has to take women’s police stations, which deal with issues of women, seriously,” she says.
Her interventions to ensure gender justice were never restricted to the force. In 2016, Ms. Vinaya, along with three other women, participated in Pulikkali, breaking into a 200-year-old strictly male bastion.
She formed WINGS (Women’s Integration and Growth Through Sports) to give older women access to fitness and games and thus demolishing another gender myth. She created 100-odd volleyball teams of women and girls across the State and organised volleyball tournaments. But she faced many protests. “They said well-bred, family women never wear jerseys and make loud noises outdoor,” she says.
At the age of 55, Ms. Vinaya fulfilled another ambition by performing Ottan Thullal.
“Women’s achievements are always ‘entertainment news’ or exceptions for society. I want to make them part of society’s life,” she adds.
