State Govt yet to implement related Act
SHILLONG: The Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) has decided to launch a campaign this week to sensitise women workers about their rights and the laws against sexual harassment.
TUR in a statement on Sunday said it will distribute pamphlets among women workers to encourage them not to tolerate any form of sexual harassment.
The NGO said that recent incidents involving the Governor and an officer of the Meghalaya government have brought the focus on rampant sexual harassment that women workers face in the State. Referring to a case of peon, who was allegedly harassed, TUR said, “it was shocking to learn that the Chief Secretary decided to set up merely an inquiry committee rather than setting up an internal complaints committee and local complaints committee as mandated by the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.”
“Even after three years, the State Government has done nothing towards its implementation in the State indicating the government and its bureaucrats do not want to break the silence as work places are rife with sexual harassment cases,” TUR said.
It is mandated that every employer, which includes Meghalaya Government, has to provide a safe working environment at the workplace which will include safety from the persons coming into contact at the workplace.
“The government should also organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals sensitising the employees with the Act besides providing assistance to the woman if she chooses to file a complaint under IPC or any other law,” TUR said, adding, “Sexual harassment should be treated as misconduct under the service rules.”
According to TUR, the State Government and other employers have to constitute by an order a Committee to be known as the Internal Complaint Committee and Local Complaints Committee to enquire into the complaints of Sexual Harassment. “Just like NEHU, which tried to escape its legal responsibility, the Government has by its action shown that it condones sexual harassment at work by not being proactive in implementing the law,” TUR alleged.
