DECCAN HERALD /  Sunday, December 9, 2001
 
                  Seminar discusses sexual harassment at work
 
                                        DH News Service
                                      BANGALORE, Dec 8

  How does one define sexual harassment at work place? Does only physical advance amount to
  sexual harassment? What should the victim of sexual harassment do? With whom should she
  lodge a complaint? Does the Indian law protect her?  These and many more questions were discussed at length at a seminar on ‘Sexual Harassment at   Work and the Law’, organised by Mahila Dakshata Samiti in association with the Bangalore  City Police.

  Dr V S Elizabeth, faculty member at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU),
  while speaking on the legal aspects of the issue said the Supreme Court in its Vishaka case
  judgement in 1997 has defined sexual harassment at work place and has issued guidelines for the
  employers and the government. The SC has defined sexual harassment thus, “any physical
  advance, sexually coloured remarks, showing pornography and demand or request for the
  sexual act”.

  Dr Elizabeth said the SC had also redefined work place. “Workplace is any place where
  working relationship exists and not the four walls of the office. It could be a hotel or any other
  outside place, which one happens to visit for official work”.

  She laid stress on the change in attitude of both men and women. While women should speak
  out against such offences, there is a need for men to bring about a change in their attitude.
  Under the guidelines the employer which includes institutions, banks, companies, factories,
  government departments, etc were supposed to set-up a committee for redressal of grievances
  relating to sexual harassment.

  Ms Santosh Vas of Janodaya, who is also a member of grievance cells of Prisons and Nabard
  shared her experiences in handling cases of sexual harassment at work places. Explaining the
  ground realities facing the victims, Ms Santosh underscored the need for sensitisation
  programmes to be carried out for men. Ms Nagaratna Rao, a veteran women’s activist
  questioned whether there was any way out to check the behaviour of high ranking men like
  politicans and bureacrats in their offices.

  City Police Commissioner H T Sangliana who presided over the function called upon women to
  assert themselves on anticipating sexual harassment at the work place. “You should assert
  yourselves and say a big no. Your silence might send wrong signals to the opposite person”, he
  said. He also urged them to become courageous and never delay in reporting to the police about
  any harassment they undergo. Mr Sangliana expressed shock over cases of harassment reported
  from high places involving specialists like anaesthetists and other professionals. Principal
  Secretary, Higher Education Department, Malathi Das who was the chief guest at the seminar
  recalled her own experiences and the cases she had dealt with on sexual harassment in her
  office. “Sexual harassment at work place is not an act of lust but an act of violence”, she said.
  Ms Das took exception to the term ‘eve-teasing’ which she said was simply dismissed as small
  incident. “That is where it begins”, she added. She called upon the NGOs to play a proactive
  role. Mahila Dakshata Samiti President Saranya S Hegde also spoke

                          Be equipped, says Sangliana

                                 DH News Service
                               BANGALORE, Dec 8

   City Police Commissioner H T Sangliana has called upon women to ‘’grow nails and use them as
   weapons against chain snatchers’’. Going a step further he has also urged them to ‘’bite’’ their
   offenders. “You should scratch your offender all over, bite him if possible and tear off his shirt
   completely. This will help us build a strong case against him”.

   Speaking at a seminar on ‘Sexual Harassment at Work Place and the Law’, organised at the
   commissioner’s office today, Mr Sangliana also urged women not to display jewellery, especially
   when walking or travelling alone to work places or elsewhere. “Women are also to be blamed for
   the increasing number of chain snatching incidents in Bangalore. You are giving an opportunity to
   the chain snatchers to carry out their task”, he said.

 Mr Sangliana added that while walking or travelling alone women should keep the jewellery in their   bags or purses. In a lighter vein, he said, “I appeal to the gentlemen to consider their wives
beautiful even without jewellery”.

The commissioner said there the women needed to develop a self-defence mechanism. Unlike in
the West where sprays are used, here the only weapon women can use is chilli powder which  involves the risk of the powder getting into their own eyes. The Border Security force,                however,  is  known to have spray kits for self-defence.