Latest news with #PoSH)Act
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Odisha asks all department heads to ensure women safety in workplace
Agency: Bhubaneswar, Jul 17 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday directed all departments to ensure women's safety in workplaces in the state. The direction came in the wake of the self-immolation death of a college student following an alleged inaction by the authorities over her complaint of sexual harassment against a teacher. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja wrote to all government departments to ensure compliance with the Provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 by all institutions or organisations. In the letter, the chief secretary said that the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in workplaces and institutions is essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all, particularly women. He has also directed the department heads and authorities that the compliance report on the action points be submitted to the Department of Women and Child Development within 15 days. 'Sexual harassment not only violates an individual's dignity and rights but also undermines productivity, morale, and equal opportunities," he said. Ahuja also mentioned in the letter that by enforcing the POSH Act, organisations fulfil their legal and ethical responsibility to prevent, prohibit, and redress instances of harassment. Ahuja has also advised all the department authorities to go for the constitution of Internal Committee (IC), capacity building and sensitisation, time-bound inquiry and redressal mechanism, annual reporting and transparency and responsibility of management. 'The head of the institution shall be held personally responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the POSH Act, as well as for any lapses in safeguarding complainants and preventing retaliation," Ahuja said. The chief secretary also asked all administrative heads to constitute or revalidate IC and ensure meeting of IC once in a month for the next six months to create awareness and build momentum for the campaign against sexual harassment in educational institutions. Thereafter, the ICs should meet in each quarter as per the Act. He also said that the authorities to ensure that the grievance redressal mechanism, such as the She-Box portal, along with details of the IC is prominently displayed in multiple locations in all institutions, mandate periodic awareness and capacity-building sessions for all staff and students, monitor and enforce compliance through regular inspections and require all institutions to submit status reports. The college and school authorities are also told to regularly visit educational institutions and interact with students, the chief secretary said. The second-year student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her. Stating that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and empowerment of women in all educational and professional environments, Ahuja said district administrations are therefore expected to act with urgency and diligence to create a safe environment for girls and women and uphold the provisions of the law in both letter and spirit. PTI AAM NN view comments First Published: July 17, 2025, 22:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Print
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Odisha asks all department heads to ensure women safety in workplace
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja wrote to all government departments to ensure compliance with the Provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 by all institutions or organisations. The direction came in the wake of the self-immolation death of a college student following an alleged inaction by the authorities over her complaint of sexual harassment against a teacher. Bhubaneswar, Jul 17 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday directed all departments to ensure women's safety in workplaces in the state. In the letter, the chief secretary said that the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in workplaces and institutions is essential to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all, particularly women. He has also directed the department heads and authorities that the compliance report on the action points be submitted to the Department of Women and Child Development within 15 days. 'Sexual harassment not only violates an individual's dignity and rights but also undermines productivity, morale, and equal opportunities,' he said. Ahuja also mentioned in the letter that by enforcing the POSH Act, organisations fulfil their legal and ethical responsibility to prevent, prohibit, and redress instances of harassment. He said it fosters a culture of accountability, encourages reporting without fear, and builds trust among employees or members, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more equitable work or institutional space. Ahuja has also advised all the department authorities to go for the constitution of Internal Committee (IC), capacity building and sensitisation, time-bound inquiry and redressal mechanism, annual reporting and transparency and responsibility of management. 'The head of the institution shall be held personally responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the POSH Act, as well as for any lapses in safeguarding complainants and preventing retaliation,' Ahuja said. The chief secretary also asked all administrative heads to constitute or revalidate IC and ensure meeting of IC once in a month for the next six months to create awareness and build momentum for the campaign against sexual harassment in educational institutions. Thereafter, the ICs should meet in each quarter as per the Act. He also said that the authorities to ensure that the grievance redressal mechanism, such as the She-Box portal, along with details of the IC is prominently displayed in multiple locations in all institutions, mandate periodic awareness and capacity-building sessions for all staff and students, monitor and enforce compliance through regular inspections and require all institutions to submit status reports. The college and school authorities are also told to regularly visit educational institutions and interact with students, the chief secretary said. The second-year student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her. Stating that the state government is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and empowerment of women in all educational and professional environments, Ahuja said district administrations are therefore expected to act with urgency and diligence to create a safe environment for girls and women and uphold the provisions of the law in both letter and spirit. PTI AAM NN This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Indian Express
Sexual harassment victim in Balasore spoke up. The system refused to listen
Why did you not speak up? Implicit in this question, put to those who have faced sexual harassment and abuse, is the assumption that breaking a silence leads, inevitably, to justice. The young woman who died this week in Balasore, Odisha, three days after she set herself on fire, spoke up. She named her alleged harasser, a professor, to the internal complaints committee of her college. She filed a complaint with the police. Yet, she was let down, driven to despair by a system that she trusted. The question that must now be answered is this: Why was this young woman not heard? The police have arrested the accused professor on charges of abetment to suicide, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, among others. The principal of the college, too, is in custody on the charge of abetment to suicide. Both had already been suspended from the college following the young woman's self-immolation on Saturday. The law must now take its course, but the larger questions looming over this tragedy — about institutional responsibility and accountability, of power asymmetries that take a high toll on those who speak out against abuse — cannot be ignored. It must be asked why, 12 years after the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act was passed — marking what seemed to be a turning point in the long-drawn, painful confrontation with the dismal phenomenon of sexual harassment and violence that women routinely endure — complaints still appear to fall on deaf ears. Questions of institutional failure and lack of sensitivity can no longer be evaded. As the Supreme Court pointed out in 2023, when it issued directions for a 'time-bound exercise' to verify whether all public and private bodies are compliant with the PoSH Act, a law alone cannot ensure 'dignity and respect'. Investigation will reveal what the college in Balasore did, and did not do, after the student complained of sexual harassment. But beyond this one college, beyond Odisha, other institutions, too, are stakeholders in building a safe environment for women — it's time they looked at how far they've gone, how far they have been willing to go, to ensure that women can study, work and travel safely. Back in December 2012, shaken by the death of a young woman in Delhi after a gruesome incident of sexual assault, there appeared to be a strong public resolve to push for change. It has periodically flared up since then, such as during the MeToo movement of 2018 and in 2023, when there was a swell of public support for the wrestlers who had accused a powerful politician of sexual harassment. In almost every case, it has been driven by women who refused to be silenced. They've spoken up, over and over again. It is time for the system to listen, and respond.
