Dear friends,
I am attaching a copy of the Sexual Harassment Bill introduced in Parliament this month. It is proposed to enact comprehensive legislation to provide a safe, secure, and enabling environment for every woman, irrespective of her age or employment status (excluding domestic workers working at home), free from all forms of sexual harassment. This includes fixing the responsibility on the employer, as well as the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector, or Deputy Collector of every District in the State as a District Officer, and establishing a statutory redressal mechanism.
The Bill, among other things, provides for:
- Formation of an Internal Complaints Committee by the employer (to be presided over by a female employee).
- Establishment of a Local Complaints Committee by every District Officer (to be chaired by a prominent woman in social work).
- Empowering these Committees with the authority of a civil court for conducting inquiries and submitting reports to the employer.
- Provision for compensation to be paid to the complainant (with the complaint not to be published).
- The right to appeal to the court or tribunal against the committee's decision.
- The requirement for the Committees to submit an annual report to the State Government.
- Mandating employers to disclose the number of cases filed and disposed of in their annual reports.
- Inclusion of penalties for non-compliance with the Act (in addition to existing legislation).
Regards,
PC Agrawal
Aurangabad, Maharashtra
I am attaching a copy of the Sexual Harassment Bill introduced in Parliament this month. It is proposed to enact comprehensive legislation to provide a safe, secure, and enabling environment for every woman, irrespective of her age or employment status (excluding domestic workers working at home), free from all forms of sexual harassment. This includes fixing the responsibility on the employer, as well as the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Collector, or Deputy Collector of every District in the State as a District Officer, and establishing a statutory redressal mechanism.
The Bill, among other things, provides for:
- Formation of an Internal Complaints Committee by the employer (to be presided over by a female employee).
- Establishment of a Local Complaints Committee by every District Officer (to be chaired by a prominent woman in social work).
- Empowering these Committees with the authority of a civil court for conducting inquiries and submitting reports to the employer.
- Provision for compensation to be paid to the complainant (with the complaint not to be published).
- The right to appeal to the court or tribunal against the committee's decision.
- The requirement for the Committees to submit an annual report to the State Government.
- Mandating employers to disclose the number of cases filed and disposed of in their annual reports.
- Inclusion of penalties for non-compliance with the Act (in addition to existing legislation).
Regards,
PC Agrawal
Aurangabad, Maharashtra
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