Who will ensure workplace safety for women in India?

Indian National Bar Association (NBA) conducted a survey on sexual harassment at the workplaces.  Embarrassment, fear, stigma, and lack of confidence in mechanism are reasons for not reporting such incidences. Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, prohibits sexual harassment at workplaces. 

Women safety is an age-old issue in India and the recent, New Year's Eve incident in Bengaluru is another jolt for the nation and a high time not to ignore or overlook this issue anymore.

Sexual predators are everywhere and according to a survey on sexual harassment at the workplace by Indian National Bar Association (NBA) a higher percentage of women at the workplace are prone to harassment and about 68.9% of the victims do not report the crime. Despite, having legislation women do not report such crime. 

The data for this survey has been collected from 6,047 respondents from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune and other cities. 78% participants of this survey are female whereas 22% are male. These respondents are employed in various sectors including IT, BPO, medical, education and other. 

38% respondents disclosed that they experienced sexual assault at the workplace where 22% experienced the same as school. 40% of them said that they suffered sexual assault in other places and not in the workplace or school. 

A high number of people (68.9%) people do not report sexual assault at the workplace because of embarrassment, fear, stigma attached to such incident, and lack of confidence in the official mechanism created to prevent sexual assault.

Also Watch: VIDEO: Woman groped, assaulted near home on New Year’s Eve

This survey also disclosed that the once who are involved in the sexual assault at the workplace are the colleagues, immediate superiors, and other within their organisation. The responses to the questionnaire of this survey show that victims were harassed by a show of sexually explicit photos and videos, inappropriate touch, passing of lewd comments, the sexual predators exposing themselves, and also forcing the victims for sexual favours. 

Also, on an average victims suffer from 6 months to a year's time before filing an official complaint against such act. 

What law says?

Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, addresses the issue of sexual harassment at the workplaces and protect women from such acts. This act provides an appropriate penalty for committing this crime that includes termination of service.

However, this survey discovered that companies, as well as individuals, are not aware of this act and its application and implications. 

This act is an extensive document that protects women in their workplaces and has multiple provisions and guidelines for the employers, but the lack of awareness kills the whole purpose of this acts. 

The present situation of women safety in their workplaces as well as anywhere requires stricter measures and also effective implementation of the same to put an end to this growing menace.