SRINAGAR A number of government departments lack the cells to probe complaints of sexual harassment despite the directives by the state government to constitute internal complaint committees to probe cases of women harassment at workplaces. Most of the government departments present a sorry state of affairs as they have failed to form the committees.
An official, on anonymity, said that even the internal complaints committee constituted in a few departments remain only on papers. 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 to provide protection against harassment of women at workplaces and the rederessal of complaints in a stipulated time-frame. The act makes it mandatory for all the departments having 10 or more employees to form such committees and an employer can be fined Rs 50,000 for violation of the act. However, sources said that the non-serious attitude of the departments on this issue can be gauged from the fact that majority of them have failed to act despite getting repeated reminders from the state government. The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued orders several times asking the administrative heads of different departments to 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 taken. We need committees in every college and school in Jammu and Kashmir, a woman professor teaching in one of the colleges said.
Majority of the women work outside home these days, but there is no security for women at workplaces in Jammu and Kashmir. The government or other rights groups only advocate about rights when something untoward happens. When the protests over the incident die down the officers forget their responsibilities, said a female teacher. If women do not feel safe and comfortable in their native land how can they be safe outside, he added.
Another female, who is working in a government department, said that there were numerous instances when men passed lewd remarks to her. The institutionalised harassment is ingrained in our system and the people who are at the helm of affairs always take 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.
A senior official in the government said that the letters were sent to all government departments to ensure that the committees must be in place to hear the complaints
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