Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Sexual exploitation of women has existed for ages and cuts across societies, rich and poor. It is only in recent times that modern states have started taking harassment at the workplace seriously, putting in place laws that seek to provide a safer work environment for women. Workplace harassment includes a broad array of offensive, disturbing, upsetting or threatening behavior. Nevertheless, workplace harassment is an insidious problem — both in its scope and the extent of harm it causes to an individual worker. A hostile work environment exists when a particular employee fears going to work because of the significant level of ongoing harassment. In India, the Supreme Court recognised the need for a law when it laid down the Vishaka Guidelines against sexual harassment at the workplace in 1997. Sixteen years later, Parliament enacted the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.Employers should provide a mechanism for addressing such sexual harassment in a confidential and sensitive manner. A well constructed and well-implemented plan within an organization may stop inappropriate conduct before it creates a serious problem for individual employees.
We are living in a country which is witness to innumerable incidents of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a serious issue that has long been ignored and treated with complacency. Although it is heartening to see women making stupendous progress in almost every sphere of activity, one cannot be oblivious to the fact that they continue to be victims of violence of different hues. Every human being has the right to live with dignity and respect. It is noticed that the prevalence of crimes against women in a certain place depends on a large extent to the social ambience of that place. Efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women should have high priority by way of implementing various measures. The punishment for battering, molestation, sexual molestation and unlawful threat must be increased. Projects must be launched for a better cooperation between the police, the social services and other relevant parties. Government should come out with much more essence and urgency to check the indecent behaviour against women folks, and the need to chart out stern measures on the part of administrative authorities for curbing down such events. People also need to come out with determination against such evils and not be a moot spectator wherein a daughter, or a sister, or a wife, or a mother is crying for alms.
