GUWAHATI: “Sexual Harassment at workplace is no more restricted to the traditional understanding of office but the meaning of a workplace is now an extended office” said Advocate Shahnaz Rahman, Member of State Police Accountability Commission, Assam.
A workshop on Sexual Harassment at Workplace was held at Hotel Shoolin Grand, Guwahati on 3rd of May 2018. Around thirty members participated in the day long program organised for the managers and the mid-level employees of Centre for Microfinance & Livelihood, An Initiative of Tata Trusts (CML-Tata Trusts). The objective of the program was to create an understanding on the various practical and legal aspect of the subject.
Often, trainings and awareness programs are being conducted by government and non-government organisation for the public, field workers and the community; ignoring the need to aware the workforce of an organisation. With the need of the hour, it was felt by CML- Tata Trusts to educate and inform the Managers and the mid-level employees on the issues of Gender, Harassment and Sexual Harassment at workplace. The participants later are expected to create awareness across location with the learning and understanding gained during the day long program.
Anurita Hazarika, Project Director, North East Network (NEN) during her session focused on the need of an Internal Committee and the inclusion of at least one field staff into the committee of “Prevention on Pre-contrives, Prohibition & Redressal of Sexual Harassment at Work Place (POSH) Policy of the organisation. The internal Committee acts as a Civil court she said. She also spoke about the importance and the need of creating a gender and sexual identity in a workplace. Sangeeta Borthakur, Mission Manager, National Institute of Rural Development, Guwahati who is also an external member of the CML-Tata Trusts POSH Internal Committee made an interactive session with a video screening on the subject.
Participants from Guwahati, Boko, Gogamukh, Agartala and Imphal participated in the workshop.