Sexual harassment of women at workplace a socio legal study in Punjab Haryana and Union Territory Chandigarh

Abstract

This doctoral thesis is based upon a study conducted in five Universities situated in UT, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, on the issue of sexual harassment of women, with special focus upon The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Stakeholders including teaching and non-teaching staff, research scholars and members of Internal Complaints Committees were contacted through personal interviews and focus group discussions, to assess their awareness about legal provisions, apart from the functioning of Complaints Committees in terms of their legal validity and effectiveness. The analysis underlines the casual approach adopted by both employers and stakeholders, including members of ICCs, reflected by an absence of Policy in most of these Universities, mandated by UGC Regulations (2015) on the above said Act, constitution of committees without verifying the credentials of members, especially Chairpersons and external members, poor knowledge regarding legal provisions, especially procedure to be adopted for redressal of complaints, lack of efforts towards prevention of acts amounting to sexual harassment, i.e., holding workshops for ICC members and other stakeholders, etc. Policy recommendations are suggested on the basis of inferences drawn. The study further confirms that as suggested by most of the existing theoretical perspectives, it is not adequate to juxtapose men and women as binaries, as gender sensitivity doesn t come with gender. It corroborates the fact that legislation is necessary but not sufficient for forging gender equality. newline