Harassment Of Women At Workplace.pptx

HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE

• Workplace harassment is the threatening behaviour directed at an individual worker or a group of workers. • Workplace harassment includes different types of discrimination and acts of violation and that are not confined to one specific group. • With the improved access to education and employment, millions of Indian women are entering the countries workforce today. Many of them were facing sexual harassment at their workplace.

1.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

IMPACT OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR • The impact of sexual harassment at the workplace is far-reaching and is an injury to the equal right of women. Not only does it impact her, it has a direct bearing on the workplace productivity as well as the development of society.

IMPACT OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR • PROFESSIONAL • Decreased work performance • Increased absenteeism, loss of pay • Loss of promotional opportunities

• Retaliation from the respondent or colleagues or friends of the respondent • Subjected to gossip and scrutiny at work

• PERSONAL • Depression, anxiety and panic actions

• Traumatic stress, sleeplessness, guilt, shame and selfblame • Difficulty in concentrating, headaches and loss of motivation

• Being objectified, defamation and ostracized

• Feeling betrayed and/or violated and angry towards the respondent

• Job and career consequences and weakened support network

• Loss of confidence and self esteem • Withdrawal and isolation

VISHAKHA AND OTHERS VS STATE OF RAJASTHAN THE VISHAKHA JUDGEMENT – 1997 Supreme court acknowledged that :

• Sexual harassment is a human right violation • Sexual harassment is a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights : • Article 14 and 15 – Right to equality • Article 21: Right to life- To live with dignity • Article 19 – Right to practice any profession /trade/occupation/business, -Right to a safe environment free from harassment

• There is a need for guidelines to fill the legislative vacuum

2.

PAY INEQUITY

• It is one of the most major issues that women employees have face at their workplace. Most of the time despite of being more proficient and qualified than fellow male employees, women workers are paid less than males for the same amount of work. Women are almost half of the workforce still they earn less than men workers in almost every single occupation. According to researchers, occupational segregation due to gender and few other factors, play the major role in pay equity at workplace. During the last couple of decades, women have shown tremendous courage by opting jobs that were previously done exclusively by men. In spite of this commendable effort, there has been a little progress in the gender integration of work. • Women are still considered to be worthy to get low pay and their effort and hard work are undermined in front of the male co-workers. Even sometimes along with pay inequity, they face discrimination in respect of recruitment, salary hike, position up gradation and many more.

3.

GENDER BIAS

• Gender bias is another challenge that many women experience at their work place. Though we can say that corporate offices are bridging the gender gap slowly, private institutions and government offices are still way far behind. Jobs that require frequent travel, physical exertion etc. are still open for men only as they are considered more eligible than women. Many companies while hiring women employees ask them openly about their marriage and further family planning as they cannot afford the maternity leaves and other flexibility perks. One must understand that women are blessed with the opportunity to bring another soul into this world and this factor must not be a hindrance for their growth and progress. It is a promising change to see that many social welfare organizations like the UN are raising this concern globally and is pledging to remove gender bias in workplace.

CONCLUSION • It can be said that though we now have a specific law to prohibit sexual harassment at workplace apart from already existing landmark guidelines of the supreme court of India but the menace cannot be controlled until and unless the mentality of males in general would not change. Till the basic human dignity of women is not recognized and respected by men, no law will be effective. It is important that constitutionally guaranteed principles of equality among men and women do not remain only empty words and should be upheld in practice.

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