Latest news with #SexualHarassmentofWomenatWorkplace
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
Ensure women & kids are safe: Govt to hotels
Panaji: The tourism department has issued a stern directive to all hotels, guesthouses, and homestay operators to take immediate measures to protect vulnerable children and provide women with a safe working environment within the hospitality sector. The department's directive comes in view of rising incidents of children being abused and molested in hotel rooms. The department has reminded hotels that they must prevent the entry of children into any room unless they are registered as staying with family or relatives. 'Goa is committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment not just for visitors, but also for those working within the tourism sector. All stakeholders are urged to comply strictly with the provisions of law and implement all required safeguards for the protection of children and women. This is non-negotiable,' said tourism director Kedar Naik. Section 8(10) of the Goa Children's Act, 2003, states that all hotels and establishments providing boarding or lodging facilities are mandated to ensure that children are protected from any form of abuse or exploitation within their premises. The tourism department also said the owner of the hotel or guesthouse and the manager will have to bear full responsibility for any contravention of the Goa Children's Act, 2003, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, or a fine up to Rs 1 lakh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Hotels and guesthouses have also been asked to adhere to their obligations under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH) Act. 'All accommodation providers operating within Goa are instructed to comply with these obligations without exception. The department seeks the full cooperation of all stakeholders to uphold Goa's reputation as a safe, responsible, and inclusive tourism destination,' said Naik.
Time of India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt seeks compliance from edu institutes on ICC
Bhubaneswar: In view of the self-immolation attempt by a 20-year-old student over alleged sexual harassment at a college in Balasore district on Saturday, state govt on Monday asked heads of all higher education institutes to submit compliance reports on instructions related to internal complaints committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, within 24 hours. The higher education department, in an urgent letter, asked the colleges and universities to include appropriate representation of women members and external representatives in the committees. They were also instructed to follow UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015. The department asked the institutes to display the name and contact number of all ICC members in a proper place for general awareness and upload their details in the higher education information management system (HIMS) portal. The govt also directed the institutes to immediately organise workshops on the Act for the sensitisation of students and faculty members. "You are further requested to ensure that a geo-tagged photograph of the location where the details of the ICC are displayed is uploaded to the link positively," wrote Rajata Kumar Mansingh, deputy director of higher education. The department earlier communicated to all colleges and universities about the constitution of ICC. Some colleges do not have ICCs, and some have not formed them as per UGC rules. University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing guidelines to all universities and colleges to set up ICCs and take necessary steps to prevent and redress sexual harassment on their campuses. UGC also asked all universities to set up special cells to deal with issues of gender-based violence and conduct gender sensitisation programmes. It suggested the institutes ensure a safe and healthy environment for women students and employees on their campuses as a necessary precondition to quality education and research. Last year, a student of a city-based university lodged a complaint against a faculty member for sexual harassment. The university investigated the matter and suspended the faculty member.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Treat women's workplace issues seriously: P. Satheedevi
Issues faced by women in workplaces should be treated as a matter of serious concern, P. Satheedevi, chairperson of the Kerala Women's Commission, has said. She was delivering the keynote address at a one-day sub-district awareness seminar on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) [POSH] Act, 2013, organised by the commission in association with the Susheela Gopalan Memorial Library here recently. 'Most workplaces disregard or suppress sexual harassment complaints, failing to understand that even the slightest harassment is a serious penal offence,' Ms. Satheedevi said. This issue largely stemmed from a lack of awareness, even among women, many of whom hesitated to file complaints or were unaware of redressal mechanisms. To bridge this gap between the people and the system, the Kerala Women's Commission was adopting a grassroots-level approach, focussing on local communities and workplaces to spread awareness of women's rights and the provisions of the POSH Act, 2013, she said. V.L. Aneesha, legal-cum-probation officer, conducted a one-hour session on the POSH Act, beginning with the origins of the Act and the Vishaka Guidelines. The session defined key terms such as gender, workplace, employer–employee expectations, and harassment, providing participants with a comprehensive introduction to the legislation. The seminar also elaborated on the step-by-step procedure for filing a complaint under the Act and the constitution and importance of internal and local complaints committees, and highlighted how the increasing number of complaints received by the Kerala Women's Commission reflected the shortcomings of these bodies. The talk was followed by an interactive discussion during which participants raised questions and shared personal experiences. All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) State joint secretary S. Pushpalatha presided over the event. AIDWA State secretary C.S. Sujatha and State president Susan Kodiyil and AIDWA Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Sreeja Shaijudev and district president Sakunthala Kumari were present.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
CNLU workshop formulates foolproof action plan on POSH
1 2 Patna: A five-day capacity building workshop on 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013', organised by Gender Resource Centre (GRC) of Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and state women and child development corporation, concluded here on Friday with the formulation of a foolproof action plan. This workshop had three-fold objectives — creating competent trainers, enhancing awareness and compliance, and driving sustainable impact via post-training support. The programme equipped the participants with the knowledge, skills and resources, enabling them to become effective trainers for leading similar capacity-building programmes at the district and block levels. A key feature of the workshop was the orientation on the "SHe-Box'(Sexual Harassment electronic Box), an online portal launched by the ministry of women and child development. More than 100 nodal officers and district-level administrators for POSH attended the workshop, aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and skills required for the effective implementation of the Act. A panel of experts, including Smita Jha of IIT-Roorkee, legal activist Anchal Gupta, advocate Apoorv Yadav from Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court, and legal consultants Gandhali Bhide and Vinda Mahajan, monitored the technical sessions of the workshop and trained the officials. At the outset, CNLU-GRC's director Ayushi Dubey welcomed the participants.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Dial 112 workshop stresses emergency response to crisis
Lucknow: The Lucknow Police Commissionerate on Saturday conducted a comprehensive training and sensitisation workshop for Dial 112 staff at the Reserve Police Lines auditorium, aiming to improve emergency response services. A total of 130 Police Response Vehicle (PRV) personnel participated in the session, which also featured inputs from Unicef. Assistant commissioner of Police Saumya Pandey told TOI that the objective was to strengthen the emergency response system (ERS) by reducing response time, improving police-citizen interactions and fostering a citizen-centric approach in policing. "Emphasis was placed on timely deployment, disciplined conduct and the effective use of tools like body worn cameras and riot control kits. Efficient and empathetic service delivery was crucial for maintaining public confidence," she said. Pandey said one of the highlights was a special training session on workplace conduct and gender sensitivity led by Unicef expert Rizwana Parveen. The session addressed gender biases, respectful conduct towards women — both within the force and among citizens —and the appropriate handling of cases involving sexual violence. Participants were also educated on the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Lucknow's Dial 112 service recently ranked among the top 25 districts in UP in terms of emergency response performance. Despite receiving the highest volume of calls and events in the state, the city's response teams maintained an impressive standard. Pandey noted that personnel received instructions on maintaining polite public interactions, taking complaints seriously, and ensuring swift resolution of emergency calls. "These measures aim not just to improve efficiency but to strengthen public trust and ensure that emergency services are citizen-centric," she added.
