States/UTs file compliance report on sexual harassment guidelines

New Delhi, July 30 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission, which had been supervising the implementation of the Supreme Court's guidelines on sexual harassment at workplace, today said all the States and the Union Territories have made necessary amendments in their conduct rules and regulations in this regard.

In a statement, the NHRC said it has recieved their compliance reports.

The Commission took up the issue and consulted with government departments, private institutions and agencies as well as NGOs with a view to set up a complaint mechanism.

The Supreme Court had issued the Vishakha guidelines on sexual harassment at the workplace in 1997.

The inception of the guidelines came after Bhanwari Devi, a 50-year-old social worker in Rajasthan fought the practice of child marriage as a part of her job as 'saathin' in the villages. The upper castes were taken aback by the action of Bhanwari Devi who challenged their tradition despite belonging to a lower caste.

Five men from the child's family (who belonged to an upper caste) gangraped her in the presence of her husband. To add to her miseries, the village authorities, the police and doctors were dismissive of her position and the trial court acquitted the accused.

Appalled at the blatant injustice, 'saathins' and women groups across the country launched a concerted campaign to bring her justice. They filed a petition in the Supreme Court under the collective platform of Vishakha, asking the court to take action against sexual harassment faced by women at workplace. The result was the Supreme Court judgment of 1997, popularly known as the Vishakha guidelines.

According to the Supreme Court guidelines, sexual harassment includes any unwelcome physical contact or advances; demands or requests for sexual favours; sexually-coloured remarks; displays of pornography; other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

The judgment created mandatory sexual harassment prevention guidelines for the workplace, applicable all over India. All employers or responsible heads of institutions must institute certain rules of conduct and take preventive measures to stop sexual harassment at workplace. The guidelines direct employers to set up complaints committees within the organization, through which women can make their complaints heard. These complaints committees are to be headed by women, and at least half its members must be women.

To prevent undue pressure from within the organisation, the committee is required to have a third-party representative from a non-governmental organization or other individual, conversant with the issue of sexual harassment.

UNI