Lack of awareness main problem of sexual harassment victims

Lack of awareness of laws and anxiety of getting a bad name were found to be the most common reasons why women avoided complaining about sexual harassment at workplace, the findings of a latest survey carried out by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) say. CII conducted a pilot survey in IT companies to assess the perception of their employees on women’s safety.

The survey, that covered four IT companies, was carried out following frequent cases of sexual violence against women. The survey included responses of over 4,000 employees. Based on the findings of the survey, CII organised a workshop for the corporate houses, human resources and individuals to create awareness against sexual harassment at workplace, its laws.

Employees from six different work sectors, including manufacturing, services (IT, Financial Services, Banking, Insurance etc), health care, hospitality, research establishments and education institutions participated in the workshop.
Apart from lack of awareness about the laws against sexual harassment at workplace, the other problems that the working women face is of fear of earning bad name if they register a complaint. Some of the women also stated that they fear that they will be sacked or they will not have good appraisal if they raise voice against sexual harassment by a senior. Not just women, but men working in IT companies too were unaware about the intricacies of the law on sexual harassment at workplace.

The survey findings also talked about confidentiality of complainants and witnesses during the process. The women also demanded strict action against the accused and compensation to the victims for the mental trauma. There should be a mandate that women employees should be provided with conveyance facility when going to remote places or even working late night.

The CII workshop was also for individuals interested in understanding the law for sexual harassment at workplace, the obligations and the processes one should create to make Pune a safer city. The workshop was attended by noted personalities including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city unit president Vandana Chavan.

Speaking on the issue Chavan said, “Sexual harassment at workplace is just one problem women face. Still we have to start somewhere. We need a holistic approach to bring the change. In today’s competitive world, more women are getting into male-dominated fields and therefore they need more protection of the law.”

Recommendations
To have a registering complaint and redressal mechanism
Gender sensitization and awareness
Confidentiality of complainants and witnesses
Aid to complainants through women’s cells, forums
Separate nodal body to address issues which are not addressed by company’s committee

Precautions
Last pick up and first drop with a drop closer to home for women
Vendor validation with instructions to vendors regarding the type of vehicles  and drivers
GPRS Tracking on vehicles used to drop employees
Male colleague should accompany female employees when going to secluded place
Assignments should not affect the employee’s appraisal.