NCW to review Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act

With the #MeToo movement resonating across India, the National Commission for Women (NCW) will now review the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.

With the #MeToo movement resonating across the country over the past two months, the legal aspects of protecting women and serving justice have been up for examination. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has finally decided to review the law against sexual harassment at workplace.

On November 17, the organisation will be holding a one-day stakeholder consultation to review the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

As per its mandate and due to the recent increase in cases of sexual harassment being reported in the media, it announced that it will review the act and examine whether its existing provisions need amendments.

Experts including Justice Sujata V. Manohar (retd.), Justice G. Rohini (retd.), Justice M.N. Rao (retd.), advocate Flavia Agnes and many other stakeholders will participate in the consultation.

On November 16, Rekha Sharma, chairperson of the NCW, said the Commission will set up a team to conduct an inquiry into the sexual harassment complaints in All India Radio (AIR) stations across the country.

In a letter on November 14, Sharma wrote a letter to Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Vempati and has asked him to report to the NCW about the action taken within fifteen days. In another letter on November 15, she asked Amit Khare, Information & Broadcasting Secretary, to do the same within seven days.

Sharma also said that the NCW had received many complaints about sexual harassment at AIR stations from the All India Radio Casual Announcers and Comperes (AIRCACU) even before she was appointed as the chairperson.

Although the NCW had made inquiries about some of the complaints and sent directives to Prasar Bharati officials, there weren't any substantial consequences. With the new inquiry team being constituted soon, Sharma has said that they will definitely look into the complaints.