KVMCP have established an Anti-Women Harassment Cell has to provide a healthy and congenial atmosphere to all the women staff members and female students and to ensure their safety.
The function of the Cell is to purely safeguard the rights of the female students, women teaching and non teaching faculties to provide them with a platform for listening to their complaints with a view to ameliorate them. The Cell also tries to inculcate habits of personal hygiene, and basic rules of etiquette. It also tries to empower the female members of the College of their legal rights, and the ways to redress their grievances.
In 1997, the Supreme Court recognized and addressed the issue of sexual harassment at the workplace. The judgment created mandatory sexual harassment prevention guidelines for the workplace, applicable all over India. The knowledge and information about it can lead to a workplace free of sexual harassment for all persons. Ministry of law and justice recently published “The sexual harassment of woman at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal)” Act on 22nd April 2013, as per this act it is mandatory for every organization to have Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). This document is to be read in conjunction with “Sexual harassment of women at workplace (Prevention, prohibition and redressal) act-2013 (copy attached) here after referred to as the ‘act’ Sexual harassment injects the most demeaning sexual stereotypes into the general work environment and always represents an intentional assault on a person’s inner most privacy.
What is Sexual Harassment?
For this purpose, sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) such as:
- Verbal or Physical threats.
- Abusive, Embarrassing or Patronizing behavior or Coraments.
- Circulating or Displaying pornographic, Racist, Sexually suggestive or Otherwise offensive pictures or Other materials.
- Unwanted physical contact, Ranging from an invasion of space to a serious assault (The above list is not intended to be exhaustive).
The following is also sexual harassment and is covered by the committee
- Eve-teasing
- Unsayory remarks
- Jokes causing or likely to cause awkwardness or embarrassment
- Innuendos and taunts
- Gender based insults or sexist remarks
- Unwelcome sexual overtone in any manner such as over telephone (obnoxious telephone calls) and the like
- Touching or brushing against any part of the body and the like
- Displaying pomographic or other offensive or derogatory pictures, cartoons, pamphlets or sayings
- Forcible physical touch or molestation
- Physical confinement against one’s will and any other act likely to violate one’s privacy
Roles & Responsibilities Of Women Anti-Harassment Cell
- To provide information regarding counseling and support services on our campus for women employees/female students.
- The Cell will provide assistance to the Faculties for taking preventive steps in the matter of gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
- To promote awareness about sexual harassment through educational initiatives that encourages and fosters a respectful and safe campus environment.
- To provide a neutral, confidential and supportive environment for members of the campus community who may have been sexually harassed;
- To ensure that students, faculty and staff are provided with current and comprehensive materials on sexual harassment and assault;
- Women Anti-Harassment cell shall consider all grievances submitted in writing by an Individual regarding working conditions, eve teasing and any other alleged injustice or
harassment done to female employee/girl students while discharging their duties/attending sessions at the Institute and forwards the written complaint to Internal Complaint Committee.
- The Internal Complaint Committee together with Women Anti-Harassment cell shall process all the individual cases/complaints of sexual harassment and any other type of harassment of the female students, teaching and non-teaching women staff of the college and take suitable action thereon in the manner and mode as per the college norms.
- The Cell may form / review the guidelines/policy for redressal of the grievance as required from time to time, which may be in accordance with those issued by Supreme Court and Government Agencies.
- To advice complaints of the informal and formal means of resolution as specified by the Cell:
- To ensure the fair and timely resolution of sexual harassment complaints
Procedure for Filing Compliant
The aggrieved woman must make a complaint on Women Anti-Hharassment cell at the workplace within three months from the date of occurrence of an incident. In case of a series of an incident, within three months from the date of the last incident.
The complaint must be made in writing and submitted to the Cell and be sent either by post or given in person. The Cell also has the powers to extend the time-limit for reporting by not more than three months, if it is satisfied that the circumstances were such which prevented the employee from filing a complaint within the three months.
If an aggrieved woman is unable to make a written complaint by herself on account of her physical Incapacity, a complaint can be filed by:
- Her relative or friend.
- Her co-worker.
- An officer of the National Commission for Women or State Women’s Commission.
- Any person who knows about the incident, with the written consent of the aggrieved woman.
If an aggrieved woman is unable to make a written complaint by herself on account of her mental Incapacity, a complaint can be filed by:
- Her relative or friend.
- A special educator.
- A qualified psychiatrist or psychologist.
- The guardian or authority under whose care she is receiving treatment or care.
- Any person who knows about the incident jointly with her relative or friend or special education or qualified psychiatrist or psychologist or guardian or authority under whose care she is receiving treatment or care.
Finally, if an aggrieved woman is unable to make a written complaint by herself on account of her mental incapacity or physical incapacity or death, a complaint can be filed by her legal heir.
Functioning of the Cell: The Complaint Mechanism Procedure to file/report a complaint:
- The secretary will inform Internal Complaint Committee, and call the complainant for a personal mecting, usually within a week from the submission of the written complaint.
- If the case falls outside the purview of the ICC, the complaint will be informed to Appellate Authority.
- If the case comes under the purview of the ICC, an enquiry committee will be setup.
- The Committee will submit a report and recommend the nature of action to be taken at the carliest by Director.
- If any legal action is required with the help of advocate member of the ICC complaint is forwarded to police.
To facilitate the speedy delivery of justice, the Ceil meets on a regular basis. From time to time the Cell conducts Seminars and Lectures by specialists to root out violence, harassment/ sexual abuse of women at the workplace, to provide equal opportunities for them, and to teach others, esp., men to treat women with the dignity and respect they rightly deserve as co-equal partners in the Order of Creation.
Anyone found to have harassed another will be subjected to appropriate disciplinary action, inluding:
Reprimand/s and/or written apology.
- Suspension from classes/practical work, etc.,
- Other punishment’s as defined by the Law, and the University Act.
False Reporting: Intentionally making a false report or providing false information is grounds for indiscipline. Please note that a frivolous or false complaint to the Cell is filed, such an individual/group of individuals shall have to bear the consequences of the offense and a hefty Fine decided by the members of the said Cell.
Women Anti-Harassment cell assures all the complaints of the students, teaching and non teaching staffs are treated with dignity and respect and the complaints should be maintained confidential.