Bihar woman complains of sexual harassment by official of UN body: MEA

The woman has accused the UNFPA’s India representative and two women staffers of “verbal abuse and character assassination”.

The external affairs ministry has received a complaint from a woman in Bihar alleging sexual harassment by an official of a UN body.

The Ministry of External Affairs said it has asked the UN body for a response. (Shutterstock)

Confirming the development, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the ministry has asked for response from the UN body.

“We received a complaint against the UNFPA official of sexual harassment. Given their (UN official’s) status, MEA asked for a response from them. The response now has been forwarded to the complainant,” Kumar told reporters.

According to reports, the former consultant at the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Bihar office, has accused the agency’s India representative and two women staffers of “verbal abuse and character assassination”.

In a letter to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, the 30-year-old woman alleged that she was harassed for providing “evidence of misconduct by UNFPA staff, including religious intolerance, conspiracies on sexual harassment” at workplace, the reports said.