Sexual harassment

— The ideal of an egalitarian society is still some distance away in our region, a fact that a long list of unaddressed issues proves. Recently this newspaper acquired information about the absence of complaints committees in institutions, a measure that has been deemed essential to prevent sexual harassment of women in workplaces. A progressive step that responds to genuine needs of women, it was advocated by several groups and individuals, and more significantly, recommended by the apex court of the country. The Supreme Court was swayed by the idea that women employees required a conducive work environment free from sexual prejudice and harassment. There have been numerous instances in which women have endured gender inequity, and to put it bluntly, sexual persecution and lived on with silence. Sexual harassment would not just mean unwanted physical contact, but range from indecent gestures to suggestive innuendos. It is believed that existence of complaints committees would deter such offences from taking place, by giving women a plateform where they could raise their grievances, and seek their redressal through an official mechanism. Unfortunately, in Assam such committees have been absent in most institutions and organisations, many of which are not even aware of the very significant Supreme Court directive.

Ironically, it has been found that in institutes of higher learning where the most educated section of society work the situation is one of utter indifference. A recent survey conducted by an academic based in Upper Assam showed that just one college out of twenty-two under survey had a functioning complaints committee; in Lower Assam the scene was equally deplorable. Subsequent enquiries made by The Assam Tribune have revealed that in the capital city of the State, many heads of institutions are not even aware of the need to form such committees. It can be safely deduced that the State Government’s departments concerned have not taken the issue seriously, and with no strong messages conveyed to institutions, women employees are left without a vital tool that could have made them more confident in workplaces. Apart from being a compelling indictment of Government inaction, the situation also calls to question the insensitive nature of our society. ASSAM TRIBUNE