Tura, Aug 7: A day-long training programme on “The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013” for Internal Committee and Local Committee Members of West Garo Hills District was held at Circuit House here today.
The programme was organized by the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI), Shillong. Additional Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Tura Pearla Tatyana Sangma was also present during the training programme.
Advocate and former member, Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) Rebina Subba explained in detail about Understanding Sexual Harassment at Workplace, its definition, types of sexual harassment, manifestations, consent, Laws and its Objectives and Key Provisions including complaint and redress mechanism SHW Act, 2013 and Enabling Measures and Strategies for Safe Workplace.
She further mentioned that the Act aims to prevent and address incidents of Sexual Harassment of Women at their place of work and provide a mechanism for redressal of complaints related to such harassment.
Highlighting on the provisions of the Act, she said that the Act mandates every workplace employing more than ten persons to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee which is responsible for addressing complaints of sexual harassment and ensuring a safe working environment. The workplace mentioned includes government, private and non-governmental organizations, as well as any organizations, institutions, undertakings or establishments.
Moreover, she mentioned that the IC Members should organize awareness and sensitization programmes including quarterly meetings for their staff or employees and those employers who fail to form the Internal Committee can be penalized, she said.
She also informed that the Act was enacted after the Supreme Court of India’s landmark judgement in Vishaka and others Vs State of Rajasthan where in the Vishaka Judgement, the Supreme Court laid down the guidelines making it mandatory for every employer to provide mechanism to redress grievances pertaining to workplace sexual harassment and enforce the right to gender equality of working women.