Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration’s apparent lack of concern for safety of women from harassment at workplace can be measured by the fact that majority of its departments have not constituted their respective internal complaint committees.
The (Prevention, Prohibition and (Redressal) Act, 2013, which prescribes strict punishment was enacted by the central government on December 9, 2013, and under Section 4(1) of the act, every employer is required to constitute an internal complaint committee with an aim of providing protection against harassment of women at workplace and for the prevention and redressal of complaints in a stipulated time-frame.
The act makes it mandatory for all the departments having 10 or more employees to form such a committee and an employer can be fined `50,000 for violation of the act.
However majority of the government departments have failed to act despite getting repeated reminders from the state government.
General Administration Department (GAD) issued the orders several times, says that administrative heads of their respective departments shall constitute committees at the state, divisional and district levels.
Over the years, there have been number of times, when women faced harassment at work places. But most of the time action was not been taken. “We need committees in every college in Jammu and Kashmir,” a woman professor teaching in one of the colleges in Srinagar said.
“A good number of women are working today. But, there is no security for women at workplaces in Jammu and Kashmir. The government or other rights group only advocate about rights when something untoward happens, and when the incidents dies down, the voices of advocates also dampens,” said a female teacher. “If women do not feel safe and comfortable in their native land how can they be safe outside,” the teacher added.
Another woman, who is working in a government department, said that there are numerous instances when she has resisted men passing lewd remarks in her career. “The institutionalized harassment is ingrained in our system and the people who are helm of affairs always took undue advantage of women. Earlier, raising voice was considered a stigma but now people are raising their voice and slowly the perception is changing,” she said.
One of the government officials said that all the departments have been directed to constitute harassment committees, but such directives have not translated into action.
(With inputs from KNS)
