LAWS, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS RELATED TO WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN INDIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i1.2024.4529Keywords:
Workplace Sexual Harassment, Posh Act 2013, Legal Framework In India, Gender Sensitization, Corporate AccountabilityAbstract [English]
Despite legislative measures in India through the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act), workplace sexual harassment continues to be a cause for concern. This article takes a closer look at how common sexual harassment is in the workplace in India, whether existing laws protect women, and if they do, how the lack of implementation renders them akin to scraps of paper. Although the PoSH Act mandates the setting of Internal Committees (ICs) to provide redressal mechanisms for complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace, ignorance, fear of retaliation and the prevailing stigma of sexual harassment discourages women from reporting incidents. Furthermore, many organizations operate outside the law, making enforcement nearly impossible. However, it is not just regulations, but also workplace culture where the accountability for harassment is born. It is essential that organizations take preventive actions, gender-sensitization training, anti-harassment policies, and anonymous reporting channels. Leadership is of utmost importance regarding creating a safe and inclusive workplace. It also describes landmark cases and legal precedents that wanted India to handle workplace harassment. Demand for policy changes, the gap between what should be happening under the law and what is being enforced and holding corporations accountable. By tackling these issues and nurturing a spirit of non-tolerance, India can head towards safer and fairer workplaces for everyone.
References
Mahapatra, S., Roy, K., Kaur, Y., SHARMA, S., & Banerjee, D. (2024). Sexual harassment at workplace act, 2013: a review. ShodhKosh Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 5(6). https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.2868 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.2868
Rathore, A. (2024). Examining the Limitations of the POSH Act in Addressing Workplace Harassment. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i02.17096 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i02.17096
Agrawal, A. (2024). Seeing the ICC: Critical Perspectives on the Limitations of the POSH Act, 2013. International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research, 09(11), 5207–5214. https://doi.org/10.46609/ijsser.2024.v09i11.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2024.v09i11.015
Sexual harassment at workplace: a study on the policies and preventive measures. (2023). Russian Law Journal, 11(2s). https://doi.org/10.52783/rlj.v11i2s.586 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/rlj.v11i2s.586
Gawali, S. B. (2023). Narratives from the Margin: Sexual Harassment and Strategies of Resistance. Caste, 4(2), 403–416. https://doi.org/10.26812/caste.v4i2.603 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26812/caste.v4i2.603
A Critical Analysis of a Law on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in India. (2023). International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.2951 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.2951
Singh, R., & Singh, A. (2024). Safe Environment for Working Women - A Critical Analysis. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i03.19807 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i03.19807
Role of POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) of Women at Workplace Act in Making Workplace better for women: An Empirical Study. (2023). Journal of Informatics Education and Research. https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v3i2.76 DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v3i2.76
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace in India: A Critical Study. (2023). International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.3609 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.3609
Akila, R., & Sasikala, R. (2022). Sexual harassment at workplace faced by women employees in private organization special referenceto Tamilnadu and Pondicherry regions - India. Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0070713 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0070713
Halder, D. (2022). Patterns of workplace online sexual harassment of female university students by faculties in India and legal recourse: A critical commentary. Revista Do CEJUR/TJSC, 10(1), e0390. https://doi.org/10.37497/revistacejur.v10i1.390 DOI: https://doi.org/10.37497/revistacejur.v10i1.390
Aina-Pelemo, A. D., Mehanathan, M. C., & Kulshrestha, P. (2020). Indian Legal Profession and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act. Sexuality and Culture, 24(1), 248–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12119-019-09637-Z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-019-09637-z
Gupta, R. (2019). Workplace Sexual Harassment of Women Domestic Workers: Issues and Challenges in the Legal Framework in India (pp. 71–86). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5764-0_5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5764-0_5
WEB: The number of sexual harassment complaints per year in major Indian companies: FY20 -FY24 Retrived from https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/diversity-and-inclusion/sexual-harassment-complaints-at-india-inc-rise-by-79-in-last-5-years/116137786
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Roselin.V.N, Prof. Dr. B. Someswara Rao
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
