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POSH Act: All You Need To Know About The Law Against Sexual Harassment In India
Writer: Varnika Srivastava
She is an upcoming millennial journalist, gushing in the 21st century to bring the authentic piece of information to the citizens.
India, 22 March 2022 12:00 PM GMT | Updated 22 March 2022 12:03 PM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
In 2013, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act became law. It defined sexual harassment, outlined the procedures for filing a complaint and conducting an investigation, and specified the appropriate action.
The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, March 17, directed organisations associated with the film industry to take a step against sexual harassment and get aligned and form a committee that will deal with cases of sexual harassment of women. The court ordered to follow the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act or POSH Act, which Parliament passed in 2013.
During the #MeToo movement, many women working as actors, comedians, journalists, and in cooperation across the nation spilt their traumatic harassment stories on social media, as the Act executes as a protection shield for women in the workplace.
Emergence Of POSH Act
In 2013, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act became law. It defined sexual harassment, outlined the procedures for filing a complaint and conducting an investigation, and specified the appropriate action.
The POSH Act scattered the Vishaka guideline that was already established in 1997, reported The Indian Express.
Visakha Guidelines
The Supreme Court in 1997 received a case by a women's rights group, one of which was Vishaka. They had filed a public interest lawsuit over the alleged gang rape of Bhanwari Devi, a social worker from Rajasthan. In 1992, she prevented the marriage of a one-year-old girl, prompting the alleged gang rape as an act of retaliation.
The legally binding Visakha guidelines defined sexual harassment and imposed three essential obligations on institutions: prohibition, prevention, and redress.
The Supreme Court ordered that a Complaints Committee be formed to investigate allegations of sexual harassment of women in the workplace. The order by Supreme Court scattered the Visakha guideline more and made women even more, safer in the workplace.
Guidelines Results
After the Supreme Court ordered guidelines, a law emerged that resulted in every office requiring that every employer form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at each office or branch with ten or more employees.
The Act established procedures and defined various aspects of sexual harassment, such as the aggrieved victim, who could be a woman "of any age, whether employed or not," who "claims to have been subjected to any act of sexual harassment."
Also Read- Tamil Nadu: Hostel Warden Of Govt-Aided School Arrested For Allegedly Raping Boys
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