The Sexual Harassment of Women Act, passed earlier this year, gives women more weapons to fight harassment. But they need to speak up first
To all those asking me how sexual harassment can be curbed at workplaces, I have one question to ask in return: Does your office have a sexual harassment complaint committee? Chances are that you don’t. There’s an even greater chance that you haven’t bothered to find out. That, to my mind, is the root of the problem. Many of us don’t seem to believe that a Tarun Tejpal lurks amidst us until he lands up at our door. We read and write about harassment all the time, but when it comes to setting up a mechanism to nip it in the bud, we keep telling ourselves, “It’s okay, it won’t happen to us.”
Women are often scared of being ‘left out’ at work if they don’t take part in bloke jokes. Their first reaction to uncomfortable situations is to adjust, as they have so often been trained to do in every aspect of life. They tend to react only when the relationship is embittered, only when, say, the boss is picking on them. Let’s take the case of a top executive in an MNC. A divorcée in her mid-30s, she was an able worker and primed for a promotion. When she faced sexual advances and spurned them, albeit quietly, she was penalised and deprived of her due. It was only after she quit that she spent lakhs to fight her tormentor. Why ruin yourself in pursuit of justice? It’s your right, so speak up.
(This story appears in the 10 January, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)