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Women still harassed at workplaces, says NCW
After conducting a series of meetings to monitor the Supreme Court guidelines on sexual harassment at workplaces, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has concluded that these were not being followed in totality.
After conducting a series of meetings to monitor the Supreme Court guidelines on sexual harassment at workplaces, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has concluded that these were not being followed in totality.
n several instances, the NCW found, the complaint committees were not constituted at all and even where they were, several lacunae were noticed.
The NCW said it had held around fifteen meetings with representatives of public sector undertakings, public and private sector banks, educational institutions, hospitals and hotels to see to what extent the SC guidelines were being implemented. A 1997 SC order had laid down guidelines and norms to prevent sexual harassment of women at workplaces. As a follow-up to this judgment, the NCW formulated a code of conduct for work places, putting down the apex court’s guidelines in a simple manner.
The guidelines were also sent to all the recognised universities and government ministries and departments. The NCW’s exercise to study the implementation of the guidelines revealed that the complaint committee often did not have the required 50 per cent representation of women, were headed by men and did not have third party or NGA representation.
The commission said the Delhi University was dragging its feet over finalising a policy on sexual harassment for its constituent colleges. As a result, even after four years of the SC order, no college in Delhi had any guidelines to follow. Similarly, in its meetings with the hotels, the NCW found that other than three or four hotels, none had a complaint committee.
Bureau Report
n several instances, the NCW found, the complaint committees were not constituted at all and even where they were, several lacunae were noticed.
The NCW said it had held around fifteen meetings with representatives of public sector undertakings, public and private sector banks, educational institutions, hospitals and hotels to see to what extent the SC guidelines were being implemented. A 1997 SC order had laid down guidelines and norms to prevent sexual harassment of women at workplaces. As a follow-up to this judgment, the NCW formulated a code of conduct for work places, putting down the apex court’s guidelines in a simple manner.
The guidelines were also sent to all the recognised universities and government ministries and departments. The NCW’s exercise to study the implementation of the guidelines revealed that the complaint committee often did not have the required 50 per cent representation of women, were headed by men and did not have third party or NGA representation.
The commission said the Delhi University was dragging its feet over finalising a policy on sexual harassment for its constituent colleges. As a result, even after four years of the SC order, no college in Delhi had any guidelines to follow. Similarly, in its meetings with the hotels, the NCW found that other than three or four hotels, none had a complaint committee.
Bureau Report