Women’s Cell and Family Cosmos Forum (MPSW) in collaboration with Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and Women’s Grievance Redressal Committee hosted an informative session on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013, commonly referred to as the POSH Act. The session took place on 11th June 2024 and featured Mr. Laxmish Rai, the Secretary of the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), as the speaker. 70 students of II year MSW, MSc Counselling and MSc CFS were present along with the faculty of all three PG programs.
Mr. Rai began the session by explaining the historical context of the POSH Act, emphasizing its connection to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. He underscored the importance of the Act in protecting women's rights and dignity in the workplace. He then provided a clear definition of sexual harassment, including unwelcome physical contact, requests for sexual favors, sexually colored remarks, showing pornography, and other unwelcome behaviors.
The session also covered the broad definition of "workplace" under the Act, which includes various work environments such as government bodies, private and public sectors, NGOs, schools, colleges, and more. Mr. Rai explained that the Act applies to all types of employees, including full-time, part-time, and temporary workers, as defined under the Factories Act.
Mr. Rai detailed the procedure for filing a complaint under the POSH Act. He explained that a written complaint must be submitted to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) within three months of the incident. He described the inquiry process and the timeline for resolution, emphasizing the importance of timely reporting.
The constitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) within organizations was another key topic. Mr. Rai explained that the ICC should include a senior woman employee as the Presiding Officer, two employees with experience in social work or legal knowledge, and one member from an NGO. He also discussed the formation of similar committees in higher education institutions to handle complaints within educational settings.
To illustrate the practical application of the POSH Act, Mr. Rai shared a few case studies. These examples highlighted the challenges faced by victims, the role of the ICC in ensuring fair investigations, and the outcomes that upheld justice, demonstrating the importance of maintaining a safe workplace.
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A segment, allowing participants to clarify their doubts and gain further insights. The School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, expressed its gratitude to Mr. Rai for his valuable contribution.
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