Sexual harassment at workplace: New book helps build a bulwark

LUCKNOW: The global #MeToo campaign has raised the bar on conversation around sexual harassment at workplace, says a 2019 study published in Harvard Business Review.

Findings of the latest study state 74% women believed women would speak up against sexual harassment without hesitation, while 77% men hoped it would make men more wary of inappropriate behaviour .

Martha Farrell Foundation’s book Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace provides a step-by-step guide to understanding the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

The book was launched at the 7th Indian Social Work Congress at Lucknow University by vice chancellor prof SP Singh and others on Friday. “Martha Farrell Foundation authored this book and it was published by Hachette India,” said Nandita Pradhan Bhatt, director of the foundation.

“The Foundation is committed to making workplaces safe, and this book describes our experiences in training over 50 organizations, and sensitizing nearly

30,000 men and women employees over the past three years,” said Bhatt.

“Importantly, the book goes beyond the law, providing examples and case studies for unbiased redressal of sexual harassment complaints, and actions we can take to create a workplace culture that is gender-sensitive, equal and safe for every employee,” she said.

Making workplaces safe for women needs effective implementation and understanding of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, she added.

Many speakers said this was the primary legal mechanism to

ensure that women were protected against sexual harassment at workplace. But others asked how many women, men, employers and employees were aware of the rights and obligations under this Act?

The study concluded that at least organizational-level training of employees should be ensured not only on what constitutes sexual harassment but also on character building and gender equality.

The book has exhaustive details on organizational responsibilities to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment cases at workplace, internal and local committee mandates and functioning.