69.2% rise in the cases of sexual harassment at workplace

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act was enacted in 2013 to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at workplace. As many as 965 cases of sexual harassment at the workplace were filed with the National Commission for Women in 2018.

Hyderabad: With the #MeToo Movement gaining popularity, many cases were reported by women who experienced sexual harassment at the workplace.

Much before the movement gave the victims a platform for their voice, the Government of India in 2013 enacted The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.

It aims to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at workplace and for the prevention and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Act covers all women, irrespective of their age, employment status or nature of work (whether working in shifts or otherwise).

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 mandates all workplaces, including, any department, organisation, undertaking, establishment, institutions, office, branch or unit (which is established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government or the local authority or a Government company or a corporation or a co-operative society ) having more than 10 workers to constitute Internal Committees (ICs) for receiving complaints of sexual harassment of women at workplaces.

Educational Institutions are also covered under the Act.

The Act casts an obligation upon all the employers to constitute Internal Committees and for the inquiry to be completed in a sensitive and time-bound manner by Internal Committees.

There is no centralized mechanism to collect data related to Internal Committees and of the cases of sexual harassment looked into by such committees.

As many as 965 cases of sexual harassment at the workplace were filed with the National Commission for Women in 2018, as per the records with National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The data further indicates a 69.2% rise in the number of cases filed in 2018 as compared to 2017.

NCRB has been collecting data on sexual harassment at the workplace since 2014.

Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are the major states where most of the cases of harassment of women at workplaces were registered.

The data indicate that the number of such complaints registered during the last three years was 539, 570 and 965 in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed an online complaint management system titled ‘Sexual Harassment electronic–Box' (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at the workplaces by women, including government and private employees.

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), and National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) have been requested by Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure effective implementation of the Act amongst their members in private sectors.

After analysing the data it is important to differentiate between two things. Does this increase in data imply that more women are coming out against the exploitations or the harassments has increased despite the 2013 Act was passed?

Whatever the answer, organisations are responsible to maintain a safe environment for women at the workplace.