Rape, sexual harassment at par in new bill

Victims of sexual harassment at the workplace will be treated at par with rape victims and juvenile delinquents, as far as confidentiality is concerned, according to the draft legislation to protect women from sexual harassment. Nandini R Iyer reports.

Victims of sexual harassment at the workplace will be treated at par with rape victims and juvenile delinquents, as far as confidentiality is concerned, according to the draft legislation to protect women from sexual harassment.

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India's first attempt at legislation to prevent and punish sexual harassment is ready.

"We have been fast tracking all activity on the Bill and I hope it gets Cabinet clearance," said Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath.

The most important feature of The Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at the Work Place Bill is that
it recognises the social discomfort that filing a case of sexual harassment against a colleague generates for the
complainant.

The Bill provides that no information about the complainant or the complaint can be made known to the media or public "in any manner", even in response to RTI applications.

Till now, all sexual harassment charges in India have been dealt with using guidelines set by the Supreme Court in the 1997 Vishakha judgment.

Other provisions in the Bill include penalties for employers with more than 10 employees who fail to set up an internal committee to deal with complaints of harassment.