Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Being sexually harassed at work in India is more common than we perceive it to be. This video puts things within perspective.
Half of the total crimes against women in India happen at the workplace and it is alarming to note here that 70 % of these cases go unreported. For many it is a regular phenomenon and yes it could happen to any of us.
From journalists to Supreme Court interns to a very recent anonymous post by an ‘Indian Fowler’ alleging that she was sexually harassed at work by Arunabh Kumar, Founder of viral video makers, TVF, sexual harassment at the workplace is a huge issue and slowly becoming a menace that needs to be addressed on a war footing.
It is appalling to see that despite the rising numbers of women who are sexually harassed at work, women are still finding it hard to raise it with their employers and bringing their tormentors to task. In fact more often than not their claims are either dismissed as “Duniya hai. Hota hai” by the management and if persisted they are asked to leave. Employers are either unaware of the law’s provisions or have implemented them partially or have set up internal panels that have poorly trained staff. On top of this, little gender parity in organisations even today is another glaring factor responsible for the lack of redressal of for women who are sexually harassed at work. Countless such cases are reported by women; high profile ones get media attention, but seldom do they see the light of day.
But having said that, keeping quiet is not an option. If women want the ongoing harassment to stop then they need to speak up and take charge. There are laws which are in place to address this menace. The very recent Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, is one of the most comprehensive laws against this baleful, often traumatizing harassment. This Act not only defines what constitutes sexual harassment at the workplace, but also spells out specific guidelines to tackle it. While carrying forward the requirement of internal complaints committees ( ICCs) at workplaces to handle complaints, as mentioned in the Visakha Guidelines, the SHW Act seeks to penalize employers who ignore the law.
This video by Bombay Diaries is a reminder to all women who are sexually harassed at work to take a stand. Because taking a stand is the only way to ensure that the harassment stops and the perpetrator is punished. Speaking up also helps in putting the onus back on the employer who failed to intercede and stop the harassment.
Join the Women’s Web Network for women at work by filling in the form below. You will receive a monthly newsletter from us with great resources, plus we’ll keep you posted on all Women’s Web events in your city!
Email Format
Image source: You Tube
A part time backpacker, an accidental baker, a doting mother, a loving wife, a pampered daughter, an inspired blogger, an amateur photographer read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
Please enter your email address