Discussion on sexual harassment at work place

Discussion on sexual harassment at work place on Haryana Express

Ritwik Bisaria puts the reality check in correct perspective

Should Men be Afraid of Women ? Where are we going ? Jyoti Tiwari on Sahara Samay 06 December 2013

Where are we going ?

Should Men be Afraid of Women ?

Jyoti Tiwari on Sahara Samay 06 December 2013 @11pm
Make the Sexual harassment Law Gender Neutral !
Mere allegations of Sexual harassment lands Men into Jail

"Establish National Commission for MEN"

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Part 2 of 2

Sexual Harassment law fallout ! Should or really Men be scared to talk to women, they fear being jailed. Swaroop Sarkar and Jyoti Tiwari expose the reality

Sexual Harassment law fallout ! - Men scared to talk to women, they fear being jailed: Farooq Abdullah

Sexual Harassment law fallout ! Should or really Men be scared to talk to women, they fear being jailed.

Watch Swaroop Sarkar and Jyoti Tiwari show Mirror to Feminists who remain in denial mode as always

Tarun Tejpal of Tehalka and Retd Sc Judge AK Ganguly accused under Sexual Harassment at Work Place law. Use Abuse or Misuse ! Discussion DD NEWS-Amnae Samnae

Tarun Tejpal of Tehalka and Retd Sc Judge AK Ganguly 

accused under 

Sexual Harassment at Work Place/Rape Laws.

Use Abuse or Misuse ! 

Discussion on DD NEWS-Amnae Samnae Telecasted on 29 NOV 2013 @ 10-10.30 pm

Panelists
Ms Jyoti Tiwari, Mens Right Activist, Save India Family Foundation
Ms Shubhi Chaturvedi, Asst Professor, Journalism Lady Shriram College
Ms Charu Wali, Member NCW
Mr SK Dua, Journalist and Rajya Sabha Member
Anchor - Sudhanshu Ranjan

A Must watch video where SIFF ideology (by Jyoti Tiwari) objurgates into the feminists who come to the edge of their seats to rattle and "Have strong objections to what is being said on panel".

Noticeably when these "Supporters of Mom Batti brigade" find themseleves exposed and on wrong foot they quickly hide behind their archiac magniloquent rhetorics and that to in "Angarezi" forgetting that they are on a Hindi Programme.

Kudos to Jyoti ji for all the efforts.
You rock 
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Part 2/2

Swaroop sarkar on CNN IBN channel on episode of Face The Nation : Phaneesh Murthy case: Is sexual harassment in the workplace a double edged sword?

Swaroop sarkar on CNN IBN channel on episode of Face The Nation on 22 May 2013

 

FTN: Phaneesh Murthy case: Is sexual harassment in the workplace a double edged sword?

 

Video also available at :-

http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/393328/ftn-phaneesh-murthy-case-is-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-a-double-edged-sword.html

Phaneesh Murthy, the disgraced former chief executive of iGATE Corp, may lose as much as about Rs 84 crore ($15.09 million) in severance benefits after being sacked by the US-based firm for professional misconduct. Murthy, who was sacked on Tuesday for not disclosing a relationship with a subordinate, however, is entitled to a post termination benefit of $6,000 per month till he and his spouse reach the age of 65

Official full verbatim uncorrected version of the debate/discussion on Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill held on 26 Feb 2013 in Rajya Sabha along with answers by Mrs Krishna Tirath, MoS WCD, to various queries raised by RS members prior to passage of the bill

Here is the official full verbatim uncorrected version of the debate/discussion on Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill held on 26 Feb 2013 in Rajya Sabha along with answers by Mrs Krishna Tirath, MoS WCD, to various queries raised by RS members prior to passage of the bill
 
see page 178 to 288 of the pdf file attached below


http://164.100.47.5/newdebate/228/26022013/Fullday.pdf

SOURCE - http://rajyasabha.nic.in/

NCW and Feminists group gangup opposing the inclusion of MISUSE CLAUSE in Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill (SHWB) which may be presented in Rajya Sabha

NCW and Feminists group gangup opposing  the inclusion of MISUSE CLAUSE in Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill (SHWB) which may be presented in Rajya Sabha on 26 Febuary 2013 for approval.

Here is a debate on Rajya Sabha tv that was telecasted on 25 Feb 2013 , 8 - 8.30 pm on the issue of Misuse clause in SHWB and also the need for Gender Neutrality of various Laws esp PWDVA ( Protection of Woemn against Domestic Violence also called Domestic violence act ) 

The panel included -

• Mrs Mamata Sharma, NCW chief
• Mrs Sayeeda Hameed, Member Planning Commission
• Mrs Vineta Pandey, Deputy Editor Dainik Bhaskar
• Mrs Geeta Luthra, Sr Advocate Supreme Court

Part 1/2 - MISUSE CLAUSE in Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill | Debate on RAJYA SABHA TV 25 FEB 2013

 

Part 2/2 - MISUSE CLAUSE in Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill | Debate on RAJYA SABHA TV 25 FEB 2013

     Videos on Daily Motion

SIFF,GHRS voice on Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill - P7 news channel kayda kanoon 28 nov 2010

SIFF,GHRS voice on Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill - P7 news channel kayda kanoon 28 nov 2010

 

PART 1/2

 

 

 

PART - 2/2

 

HC quashes FIR against DU professor accusing him of sexual molestation.

HC quashes FIR against DU professor accusing him of sexual molestation

TNN, Oct 5, 2010, 04.25am IST

NEW DELHI: In a relief to Delhi University professor, the Delhi high court has quashed an FIR registered against him accusing him of sexual molestation.

Justice S N Dhingra put an end to the proceedings against the accused, Bidhyut Chakraborty, saying he didn't molest or threaten the victim.

Chakraborty, who was working as an honorary director on deputation in Gandhi Bhawan, was accused of molesting an employee of the Bhawan. Subsequently, the police filed an FIR.

Once the probe got over, a chargesheet was filed in the court which revealed that the investigating officer conducted several inquiries with different staff members of Gandhi Bhawan tea vendors and other witnesses available outside the Bhawan to find out the truth. The IO submitted in the chargesheet that not even one witness was found who could support the allegations levelled by the victim and said no evidence could be found against the professor to warrant his arrest. However, keeping in view the complaint made by the victim, the IO left it to the court to issue summons to Chakraborty if needed.

HC was surprised to note that despite no evidence, the police was reluctant to file a closure report. The court next turned its attention to the inquiry report of Delhi University that had examined the complaint of the woman. It revealed that on the day of the alleged incident, Chakraborty found all employees missing from Gandhi Bhawan even though lunch break had long got over. This infuriated him and he scolded the employees including the complainant, ordering them not to come to office for a month. The IO seconded the inquiry of DU and added that when the victim was being scolded, she kept saying "sorry sir''.

This convinced HC that after being scolded by Chakraborty, the victim levelled the allegation of being molested and granted him the relief.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/HC-quashes-FIR-against-DU-professor/articleshow/6686402.cms#ixzz11xaPwDpN

More women reporting sexual harassment, say city police

More women reporting sexual harassment, say city police

Sep 13, 2010

AHMEDABAD: If applications received by city women's police station are an indication, the number of cases pertaining to sexual harassment in households or at workplaces is on the rise.
The harassment is not always in form of offensive physical contacts or sexual advancements. It can be sexually explicit talks in front of a woman, or talks and lewd gestures not considered acceptable in normal circumstances. According to women's police station officials, they had received 2,397 applications in 2009, most of them regarding dowry demands or assaults by family members. However, there were also complaints of, a small number though, sexual harassment.
The number has gone up in 2010. In 2009, a total of 64 FIRs were lodged in various cases, while at the end of August this year, the number is 48. The number of application the women police station has so far received this year stands at 2,000. The state women's crime cell conducts a meeting every three months to review the situation. For last six to seven months, the scenario has not been very encouraging.
Chetna Chaudhary, inspector of women police station, told TOI that sexual harassment was a menace spreading its tentacles. "One need not look at the figures as they do not represent the real picture. We receive four to five complaints every month about one type of harassment or other. Most of the applications, however, are not turned into FIRs," she said, adding, "The number of complaints earlier were one or two every month."
Chaudhary said many women did not want to get into trouble. "Many families dread getting involved in police cases. They look upon it as a hassle and try to settle the issue without lodging a formal complaint. In many cases, a visit to the police station brings the accused back to their senses and they vow not to harass the woman in future. If we see that the offender is not habitual and can mend his ways, we don't press charges," said Chaudhary. Talking about the cases received, the women police officials said that the complaints covered all places — corporate, households, schools
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/More-women-reporting-sexual-harassment-say-city-police/articleshow/6543978.cms#ixzz0zOx5CU14

Sexual abuse and power display – Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill be made GENDER NEUTRAL- DEMANDING NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MEN

Sexual abuse and power display – Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill be made GENDER NEUTRAL- DEMANDING NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MEN

You can speak about the condition of a nation by knowing the status of its womenfolk," Jawaharlal Nehru said this decades ago and fashion designer Ritu Beri quoted him at the launch of the serial "Kali – Ek Agnipariksha."

She added, "This way we (India) have a long way to go." The serial deals with the sexual harassment of women, an issue which can alone bring known faces – Renuka Chowdhury, Indira Jaisingh, Madhu Trehan, Ritu Beri, Dilip Cherian, Ranjan Kumari, Sundari Subramanyam Pujari, CA Sundaram – to one platform.

The jury debated the need to understand the reasons for cases of sexual harassment and the immediate need to put an end to it. While Madhu Trehan appealed for a change in the stereotypical upbringing of girls and boys in India,

Renuka's comment "Not all men are bad," served as a breather. On a serious note, Madhu said, "We have a National Commission for Women but there should also be a National Commission for men and parents to address the root cause for such a social evil. Parents should be taught to not adhere to the conventional idea – "Son, you are special!". it is important for men to learn to respect women."

According to Madhu, education alone can bring this much-needed change, "When I had gone to watch " Bandit Queen" there was a scene in which Phoolan is gangraped. I was shocked but a group of people seated in the front row, which is usually not that expensive, cheered. And later when Phoolan kills her molestors, I heard people seated behind cheering her for her courage. It has nothing to do with money but education." But CA Sundaram wasn't much convinced. He said, "About 20 years back there were neither many educated people nor several harassment cases.

However, two decades down the line, there has been a spurt in the number of educated people and harassment cases." While everybody was trying to find out the rea son and ways to fight the social evil, Ashutosh Rana said, "Sexual harassment has nothing to do with gender bias. It is about display of power. When a man acquires muscle, money and education power, he thinks he owns what he likes. That is when physical assault is interpreted as glory! It's like 'Mujhe car achchi lagi and I should have it in my backyard, mujhe bangla achcha laga and it should be mine. similarly koi ladki achchi lagi toh mere paas honi chahiye," he said.

On being asked if stereotypical notions also exist in the fashion industry, Ritu said, "As someone who has been in the industry, I must say there are no gender biases. In fact we have men complaining of being harassed. All I can say is that it is all about education. It's a social disease. I think, all naughty boys should have daughters so that they know what is it all about."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv-/Sexual-abuse-and-power-display/articleshow/6530283.cms#ixzz0z9K4ZNdf

Shiney Ahuja's maid denies he raped her

 

 

 

 

After making it to the national headlines, Shiney Ahuja's maid has told told the fast track court that the actor never raped her. She admitted slapping false charges on the actor on the instructions of the woman who helped her in getting the job with Ahujas.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/embedvideo.cmsmsid=6517552&height=250&width=310&adsid=35627&slotid=156&trackid=153&trackpostid=172

Meanwhile, Shiney Ahuja, who is fighting an alleged rape case hurled at him by his maid servant, has faced a big setback on his professional front.
TOI has learned that the makers of his highly anticipated projected Har Pall (who were contemplating releasing the film soon), that stars Preity Zinta in the lead, have decided to push back the release until the court passes its verdict. With the timeline of when the case will be resolved yet unavailable, it is not good news for the actor who is hoping to come back to the industry and reclaim his ground with this movie as well as Accident in which he is paired opposite Soha Ali Khan.
"With such negative publicity against Shiney still grabbing headlines, the makers of Har Pall are wary of releasing the film. They feel it will get disastrous box office results if they release it now. According to perception, many pundits feel that audiences will reject Shiney's film as he still hasn't been pronounced free of the charges of raping his domestic servant. Shiney's brand name needs to get positive light somehow to resurrect his acting career," says a top trade source on conditions of anonymity.
"For the makers it is important that Shiney gets a verdict in favour of him. They will quickly release the film by riding on the positive wave. If not, they will then plan how they can still release it as lots of money is at stake. They will have to go ahead and promote the film with or without Shiney. The film is completely ready which means the producers have kept their investment locked and that's not good," the source adds. The director of Har Pall, Jahnu Barua, confirms TOI's news and adds, "The situation is such that we have to wait and watch."
PTI adds:
The 20-year-old girl appeared before a court on September 3, and said that she was never raped by Shiney and that she had filed the complaint against the actor at the behest of the woman who had secured her the job of a maid in Ahuja's residence.
"On September 3, the victim identified Shiney in the court and said she used to work at his residence as a domestic help. But when asked about the incident she said it never happened and that she was never raped," public prosecutor Kashinath Dighe said.
Following this, the court declared her hostile. If the court deems fit, she can be punished for perjury, he said. The prosecution will continue presenting other evidence including the statements of 12 other witnesses, forensic reports and other documentary evidence. The next date of hearing has been fixed on September 15.

The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Shiney-never-raped-me-Maid/articleshow/6512247.cms#ixzz0yvuwjUAs

 

Shiney Ahuja's maid denies he raped her

 

Shiney Ahuja's maid denies he raped her

September 8, 2010

A woman who worked as domestic help for actor Shiney Ahuja has denied in court that the actor raped her.The same woman had accused Ahuja of rape in 2009. The actor spent three months in jail. He admitted to having consensual sex with her.

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/shiney-ahujas-maid-denies-he-raped-her/162596?cp

Breaking Myths-Men also face Sexual Harassment at Workplace - Court: No Presumption Men Welcome Sexual Advances

Breaking Myths-Men also face Sexual Harassment at Workplace - Court: No Presumption Men Welcome Sexual Advances. Demand Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill be made GENDER NEUTRAL

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Page 1

Court: No Presumption Men Welcome Sexual Advances

By STEVEN M. ELLIS, Staff Writer

A Nevada man’s concession that most reasonable men would have “welcomed” the sexual advances of his female coworker did not support a federal judge’s conclusion that he wasn’t sexually harassed, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday.

Reasoning that Rudolpho Lamas’ allegations of six months of unwanted advances and indifference by management raised issues of fact, a three-judge panel said Nevada U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson erred in dismissing on summary judgment an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit against Lamas’ employer.

Lamas was recently widowed and working as a passenger service assistant for Prospect Airport Services Inc. in Las Vegas’ international airport in the fall of 2002 when, he claimed, his married coworker, Sylvia Munoz, initiated a series of sexual overtures that caused him psychological distress that affected his job performance and led to his firing.

Maintaining that he never invited the advances and consistently rejected them, and that his coworker’s conduct embarrassed him as a Christian, Lamas said that Munoz repeatedly propositioned him for sex and wrote him notes indicating that she dreamed of him in a bath and gave “good bath wash and body massage” and that she wanted him “sexually.” He also alleged that Munoz performed gestures simulating oral sex, gave him a photograph emphasizing her breasts in which she was possibly nude, and recruited coworkers to pressure him who later mocked him by suggesting he was homosexual.

Lamas said he reported Munoz’s behavior to his immediate supervisor, who took no action, and then took his concerns up the chain of management. Although Prospect’s manager at the airport informally warned Munoz that action would be taken if she did not stop, Lamas alleged that Munoz’s inappropriate behavior continued and that another manager later told him he should just “walk around singing to yourself…I’m too sexy for my shirt.”

Although Lamas said his previous job performance had led to his assignment to a concourse serving Southwest Airlines in order to head off the carrier’s threatened termination of a contract with Prospect, he was eventually fired amid complaints about his job performance and “negative attitude,” which Lamas attributed to the stress he suffered from Munoz’s behavior. Munoz, in contrast, was not disciplined, even though men had been fired under Prospect’s sexual harassment policy.

Lamas filed a complaint with the EEOC, which brought under suit Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, but Dawson granted summary judgment to Prospect. He concluded that Munoz’s conduct was not severe and pervasive enough to amount to sexual harassment objectively for a reasonable man.  

Dawson also emphasized that Lamas never filed a written complaint, even though the company’s policy did not require one, and that management had advised Munoz that her behavior was inappropriate.

But Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld wrote on appeal:

“It cannot be assumed that because a man receives sexual advances from a woman that those advances are welcome. Lamas suggested this might be true of other men….But that is a stereotype and welcomeness is inherently subjective.”

Noting that Lamas had sought medical help while working for Prospect to deal with the anxiety he suffered, and that Lamas repeatedly broke down crying in a deposition while recounting his experience, the judge said the evidence in the record created a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Munoz’s advances were welcome, and whether they impaired Lamas’ work.

Kleinfeld further concluded that a jury could reasonably find that Prospect knew about the harassment, and that the company’s response was inadequate.

Judges Milan D. Smith Jr. and Sandra S. Ikuta joined Kleinfeld in his opinion.

The case is Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Prospect Airport Services, Inc., 07-17221.

Copyright 2010, Metropolitan News Company

http://www.metnews.com/articles/2010/eeoc090710.htm

Domestic help accuses of sexual harassment by L. Subramaniam in retaliation to her being charged for theft-L. Subramaniam plans legal action

Accused of sexual harassment, L. Subramaniam plans legal action

2010-09-08 14:50:00
Last Updated: 2010-09-08 15:09:28

Bangalore: Three days after he was accused of sexual harassment by his domestic help, eminent violinist L. Subramaniam said he would take legal action and that she was trying to 'divert attention' from a theft case.

'The maid has issued a false complaint against me to divert the attention from the case of theft. I intend to take legal action against all those who are trying to spread these baseless allegations,' Subramaniam said in a statement from his home here on Tuesday night.

Subramaniam, who is married to Bollywood playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy, had on Sep 2 filed a complaint of theft at his home against the maid, who used to do household chores, at the Sanjayanagar Police Station in Bangalore. He accused her of stealing cash and valuables worth Rs.6 lakh.

The maid had been engaged through an agency.

But Sep 5 evening, the maid filed a complaint of sexual harassment against him and then approached a newspaper Bangalore Beat, which printed her allegations in their afternoon edition on Sep 6.

In a statement made to police, Subramaniam said the maid's lifestyle had changed overtime, which made him suspect her of theft.

 

http://sify.com/news/accused-of-sexual-harassment-l-subramaniam-plans-legal-action-news-national-kjioOcdifca.html

…..

 

Domestic help accuses of sexual harassment by L. Subramaniam in retaliation to her being charged for theft

Violin maestro L. Subramaniam has been accused of sexual harassment by a domestic help whom he had named as a suspect in a case of theft from his house, police said in Bangalore on Tuesday. "The maid, Bhagya, has sent a complaint against Subramaniam through an organisation but has not herself

lodged a written complaint with the police," Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters.

"We will investigate if she files the complaint," he said.

Subramaniam had complained to the police Sep 2 that around 5,000 euros, Rs.55,000 and a gold chain were missing from his house in upscale Raja Mahal Vilas II Stage in north Bangalore.

Police said Subramaniam suspected Bhagya, 25, and she had been questioned over the missing cash and jewellery in the violinist's house.

However, on Monday, Dalit Rakshana Vedike (forum to protect Dalits) lodged a complaint with the police claiming that Subramaniam had been sexually harassing Bhagya.

"We have acknowledged the receipt of the complaint but no case has been registered as the maid herself has not lodged the complaint," a police official said.

Subramaniam and his singer wife Kavita Krishnamurthy have denied the sexual harassment charge and said they will fight it out.

Bidari said probe into the theft in the violinist's house was on and that no arrest had been made.

 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Domestic-help-accuses-L-Subramaniam-of-sexual-harassment/Article1-597335.aspx

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/maid-accuses-violin-maestro-subramaniam-of-sexual-harassment-50452

''Cultural sensitivity must to prevent women''s sexual abuse''

''Cultural sensitivity must to prevent women''s sexual abuse''

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) A massive cultural sensitivity programme aimed at changing heart and psyche of people is needed to bring down the increasing number of sexual harassment cases against women, according to experts.

It''s difficult to define sexual harassment but a woman always knows when she is being subjected to it, they say.
"We need social awareness and activity to ensure men and women are treated equal and women are not seen as filth of the business by men," says former minister of Women and Child Development, Renuka Chaudhary.

Chaudury was participating in a panel discussion on sexual offences against women here recently organised by a TV channel.
"We have a lot of laws but they do not address the root cause of the problem. What is needed is pro-active work and education for young men to teach them to respect women," says veteran journalist and author Madhu Trehan.

"It''s unfortunate that we educate people not to murder but do not teach them to respect women. The advertisements promote inferior status of women compared to men," she adds.

Research released recently shows that every fifth woman worker is sexually harassed in India. Also drafted in the year 2007 by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the path-breaking "Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill," still remains in consultation stages.

Joint Secretary of NCW, Sundari Subrimaniam Pujari opines that laws change as per the dynamism of the society.
"We need more sensitisation and good execution of laws and we need to make our children aware and give them good teachings," she points out.

Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research observes that sexual harassment is not only prevalent in educated circles but a poor woman working at a construction site is also subjected to it by the contractor.

"She has no knowledge whom to complain to. We need awareness for that. Parents should give voice and confidence to their daughters while bringing them up, so that a girl has guts to come out against sexual offenders," she says.

Senior advocate Aryama Sundaram favoured presence of tough laws along with education to deter criminals.
"Education is more today than it was 40 years ago, but, harassment is also more than it was 40 years ago in the society. We need teeth in form of laws so that there is a deterrent," he said.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4352141

Sexual harassment covers all unwanted gestures, needs new definition

Sexual harassment covers all unwanted gestures, needs new definition

Monday, September 06, 2010

United News of India
New Delhi, Sept 6:

Making an effort to refresh the definition of sexual harassment, a panel discussion on the issue today focused on how the term 'harassment' covered a wide range of unwanted gestures.

Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaisingh noted, ''The fear of harassment is a major deterrent for women desirous of entering the workforce.'' She added that a casual gesture by a male colleague at work might become a source of fear for a woman.

The discussion was organised by entertainment channel Star Plus on the launch of their new venture 'Kaali' which deals with the fight of a middle-class girl against sexual harassment.

Besides, journalist and author Madhu Trehan opined that mere formulation of laws was not enough.

''We need to teach children from a very young age, the time when they are in school, that behaving properly with a woman is a part of being civilised,'' she said.

She emphasized that upbringing had a major role to play and preference for a son over the girl child in the country was only fuelling this attitude and commodifying women.

However, former union minister for women and child development Renuka Chowdhury said sexual harassment was everywhere and it was not only the fairer sex which was the victim.''Even young boys can be subjected to it these days,'' she said.

Also, National Commission for Women (NCW) joint secretary Sundari Subramaniam Pujari stressed that harassment cases taken up by agencies like the NCW and National Human Rights Commission were making a difference in the attitude of the district administrations and argued that awareness campaigns through schools and the mass media were key.

Centre for Social Research's Ranjana Kumari said, ''There is a sexual boundary drawn by a woman. It is the moment you cross that line that harassment happens.'' 

 

http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=46660

Is India geared up for sexual harassment policies?

Is India geared up for sexual harassment policies?

The recent incidents which had names matching the likes of Penguin’s Canada chief executive David Davidar and Hewlett-Packard’s global CEO Mark Hurd has once again ignited the issue of sexual harassment in the global markets and it is indeed very interesting to note that how much geared up are the Indian companies in the same regards.

While the issue is at very nascent stages as far as India inc. goes but companies like Pepsi, LG, Maruti already have an policy in place to ensure that the company is at its toes for the safety of its employees.

It is to be mentioned here that according to Pavan Bhatia, ED-HR, PepsiCo India, the policy that is being set up by the global cola major, Pepsi is based as per Supreme Court’s guidelines on sexual harassment and there is also a committee for the issue consisting of 12 senior management executives at Pepsi, in case someone lodges a complaint.

In fact, the committee formed by the company appoints at least five members to duly investigate the matter and takes decisions accordingly.

It may be noted here that while Maruti Suzuki claims to have had no instance of sexual harassment in the company for the last 25 years, but the company has still formulated a robust Sexual Harassment Policy which will be announced to the company employees in the coming days.

 

http://www.topnews.in/india-geared-sexual-harassment-policies-2270599

Men are as vulnerable to sexual harassment as Women at Workplace : Every fifth worker sexually harassed

Men are as vulnerable to sexual harassment as Women at workplace issues: Every fifth worker sexually harassed

NEW DELHI: Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s sensational and irate emailed criticism of the Hewlett-Packard board for firing its CEO Mark V Hurd over an alleged sexual harassment charge earlier this month uncovered the basic paradox that has bedevilled a solution to a modern day malaise in the workplace.

“The HP board just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago.” Mr Ellison thundered, adding, “In losing Mark Hurd, the HP board failed to act in the best interest of HP’s employees, shareholders, customers and partners...”

In recent times, high profile exits of top executives on charges of sexual misconduct have been cropping up at regular intervals. For every name that hits the headlines, murky questions swirl around others that do not. But since almost all cases are settled out of court, including the two most well-documented cases involving Indians, Infosys’ then US head Phaneesh Murthy in 2002 and Penguin Canada’s David Davidar in 2010, consequent gag orders prevent any further probes about either the veracity and extent of the charges or the considerations that led to their ouster.

The fact is, however, that as more and more Indians come into the workplace, sexual harassment in that sphere has become a malaise that cannot be denied or wished away. Part of the problem stems from the forced cosmopolitanism of offices and shopfloors, as people from varied social milieus are thrown together.

Popular culture and mass media add their bit by propagating new ‘accepted’ modes of conduct that sit uneasily with basic, traditional personal codes. The pressure to conform leads to unwelcome behaviour and body language that often gets lost in translation. Result: Complaints of transgressions, real and imagined.

The results of the ET-Synovate survey appear to bolster that argument as Bangalore, the melting pot of the IT industry, has emerged as the place with the maximum number of people (50%) who said that they have been sexually harassed at their workplace, whereas Chennai with a far less-diverse workforce appears to be the least troubled. Of the 527 executives polled, one in every five said they had been sexually harassed at their workplace.

The startling statistic that 38% of the respondents (more than half of them from Hyderabad and Mumbai) believe men are as vulnerable to sexual harassment as women, shows that improper behaviour, and rules to curb it, can cut both ways.

At the other end of the spectrum, companies have to walk a razor’s edge between providing a tension-free atmosphere conducive to productive work and dealing with the consequences of the use and abuse of Supreme Court dictated tenets that, in theory, now guide office behaviour till a law is passed by Parliament. Ellison’s gripe is a very real dilemma that companies face at the top end: If a CEO is good for the balancesheet, should all other infractions be condoned? Result: An unhappy trade-off between bottomline losses and pay-out for damages in an imminent sexual harassment case.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/Workplace-issues-Every-fifth-worker-sexually-harassed/articleshow/6389641.cms

Sexual harassment at workplace bill-GHRS, SIFF, CRISP seminar press conference-p7 news-22aug10

Sexual harassment at workplace bill-GHRS, SIFF, CRISP seminar press conference-p7 news-22aug10

(videos are in BLACK & WHITE )

PART 1/2

 

 

 

PART 2/2

 

Global norms on sexual harassment are necessary

Global norms on sexual harassment are necessary

Sunila Awasthi, partner, AZB & Partners

Sexual harassment policies at the workplace, usually relegated to the recesses of companies’ voluminous employment policies, if they exist at all, have come to the centre stage again with two recent embarrassing exits of senior CEOs of reputed multinational companies—Penguin and HP. While the two incidents occurred abroad, the occurrences should raise questions about whether Indian companies are equipped to deal with issues related with sexual harassment at the workplace.

 
The fact is that human resources departments in the industry have still to realise the importance of framing sexual harassment policies. In little more than a decade, the Indian workplace culture has changed dramatically as more and more women have entered, and continue to enter, the once male-dominant workplace.

In 1997 the Supreme Court of India handed down a landmark judgment which it said, in exercise of the powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, will be treated as the law of the land until the parliament enacts a statute to deal with sexual harassment at workplace. The Indian parliament, unfortunately, has yet to enact such a law. And unfortunately, in the absence of such a law, that Supreme Court judgment, in the case of Vishakha & Others vs State of Rajasthan, has hardly had any impact.

Any attention to issues relating to the work environment, including sexual harassment, has only been because of global best practices brought to India through the HR policies of Indian entities of large multinational companies. It is probably the first time that corporates have started explicitly declaring zero-tolerance for sexual harassment at the workplace in the company policy applicable to all employees.

Although the SC judgment of 1997 gave a wide definition of what constitutes sexual harassment at workplace, it isn’t difficult to assess what that is. An often ignored but interesting fact about such harassment is that when it occurs it does so because of the way people behave in the context of the larger societal culture. Identifying and specifying what is appropriate workplace behavior would make it easier for corporates and employees to stem inappropriate behaviour from the beginning. Indian corporates need to look at the issue from a socio-cultural perspective. A cultural shift has been the movement of an educated and skilled workforce from small towns and semi-urban areas to the metros due to rising work opportunities there.

The formal education system does not provide the requisite exposure to changes in lifestyle and behaviour that have occurred and continue to do so, due to increasing cosmopolitanism. For example, in interactions between men and women, what is ‘cool’ for someone brought up in an urban environment may be discomforting for a person not raised in such an atmosphere. Sometimes there is no recognition of the fact that comments about colleagues’ appearance and attire are inappropriate.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Special-Report/articleshow/6389445.cms