Tura(Meghalaya), July 14 : Meeting on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 was held at DRDA Conference Hall, Tura today with all the Heads of Departments in West Garo Hills District.
Speaking during the meeting, the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh highlighted the provisions of the guidelines of the Handbook on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and informed that these guidelines are meant for all workplaces, institutions or organisation which provides a basic understanding of sexual harassment at places of work. He then informed that the Act had been enacted to ensure safe working spaces for women and to build an enabling work environment that respects women’s right to equality of status and opportunity.
According to the Act, redressal mechanism in the form of Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) or Local Complaint Committee or Complaints Committee should also be established which would look into the matters of sexual harassment of women at workplace and that the Committee were mandated to be headed by a woman employee with not less than half of its members being women, he stated.
Further, mentioning that Sexual harassment is gross violation of women’s right to equality and dignity, the Deputy Commissioner said that all departments including private sectors in the district should ensure that the Act be implement and added that both male and female employees should understand the provisions of the Act and directed all the departments to call a meeting for formation of ICC members and send it to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Tura within two weeks time.
Moreover, in view of the recent spike in Covid-19 positive cases in the district, the Deputy Commissioner had also directed all Heads of Departments to ensure that their staff are vaccinated and also to encourage and motivate other beneficiaries, neighbours, etc to vaccinate so as to safeguard, protect against the disease.
