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Reports of harassment against women employees at Rashtrapati Bhavan have surfaced recently. Makes us wonder if harassment laws can actually protect women in India.
Over the years, women have been steadily climbing the ladder of success at their work places. Today, Corporate India can boast of women leaders across industries.
However, this journey has not been easy, and the road ahead also seems to be filled with obstacles. As per a recent news report, an RTI query was filed requesting details of sexual harassment at work place.The shocking response revealed that two harassment cases were filed in the hallowed halls of Rashtrapati Bhavan itself. This disturbing information suggests that women who are working at such close quarters with the law making machinery are themselves not immune to the danger of harassment.
In 2013, Tarun Tejpal was accused of sexual harassment by a younger colleague, which caused a huge uproar. The media spotlight in the case ensured that companies with more than 10 women employees followed the protocol and set up a harassment committee as drawn out by the ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’.
AS PER THE LAW,
The harassment committee of a company must have:
This committee is supposed to run independently and not be governed by company hierarchy. Though this law has been implemented on paper, the reality is different in many places.
First and foremost the very definition of harassment is hazy. It includes:
But there are various other forms of harassment at work which are not even addressed at times, such as:
There are cases where a female colleague’s achievements and promotions are sneered at and her hard work questioned. The fact that she is successful because of her own merit cannot be digested by some male members and hence her morality is questioned.
There is less reporting of such cases, as many women fear the backlash that may occur if they complained. Despite the fact that the committee is supposed to work as an autonomous body, they are at times influences by the senior members of the company. Many a times perpetrators are let off whereas the employee who had the courage to report ends up losing her job for making a false complaint. There is also a lot of stigma attached to reporting a harassment case. Women are worried about being labelled as a ‘trouble maker’ which may affect their growth potential.
There is a need to ensure that the work places change their culture. They should cultivate an environment which fosters growth of all employees, despite their genders. Awareness needs to be generated about the harassment laws. The committee should be allowed to make judgements based on facts and evidences. A strong message needs to go out to anyone who is found guilty of the charges.
The workplace is a common ground where men and women need to mutually respect each other and work in alignment to achieve the company objectives.
Image via movie ‘That’s Harassment’
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Rrashima Swaarup Verma's new bestselling book The Royal Scandal is a celebration of the spirit of womanhood set in the 18th Century.
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