Maneka Gandhi asks media houses, parties to set up internal complaints panels

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on Thursday said that she will write to media organisations across the country to find out if they have set up mandated internal complaints committee (ICC) to probe such sexual harassment cases. The minister also said that she has requested the heads of all national and regional political parties to constitute internal committees to deal with sexual harassment cases.

In reply to Indian Women Press Corps over increasing numbers of sexual harassment cases in media organisations, she said, "I am going to look into the institutional mechanisms of each media organisation immediately."

About setting up committees in all recognised political parties, Gandhi said she has written to six national parties and 59 regional parties to form internal complaints committee against sexual harassment and post information on it on their website.

"We are trying to get to every single form of harassment that is being experienced by women at workplace. I have written to chiefs of political parties to form Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which should have already been there under the law. When we are asking every organisation to have an internal complaints committee, why should we exempt political parties from it," she said.

The move comes after allegations of sexual harassment against prominent people in various fields came to light under MeToo movement.