533 workplace sexual harassment cases in India from Jan-July 2018: RS secretary

As many as 533 cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace have been reported in the country in the first seven months of 2018 as compared to 370 cases in 2014, Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma told a workshop here Thursday, citing official data.

Verma inaugurated the two-day sensitisation workshop on various aspects of the issue and provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act. The workshop was organised by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, according to an official statement.

The harassment of women at workplace violates their right to equality, life, liberty and dignity of living as envisaged under the fundamental rights, it said. "...based on the complaints received in the National Commission for Women as well, the cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace increased from 371 cases in 2014 to 570 in 2017 and as many as 533 such cases have already been reported in the first seven months of 2018," Verma was quoted in the statement. Citing a survey of the Indian National Bar Association in 2017, Verma said that almost 70 per cent of women said they did not report sexual harassment by superiors fearing repercussions.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat is committed to providing a congenial environment to the women employees and as a result, the strength of women employees has been growing steadily, he said, adding that 252 women employees are working in the secretariat and another 44 in RSTV.

Verma further said internal complaints committees have been constituted for both to examine harassment complaints. He said that only four complaints, two each in the secretariat and RSTV, have been received since the act came into force in 2013 and two of them have been disposed of and the other two are under probe.

(With inputs from agencies.)