Law on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace to be Enacted in India
The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, has released a draft Bill to tackle sexual harassment at the workplace. The Bill is a product of intensive consultations with women’s organisations across the country.
The Bill recognises that sexual harassment infringes the fundamental right of a woman to gender equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India and her right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution which includes a right to a safe environment free from sexual harassment.
It also acknowledges that the right to protection from sexual harassment and the right to work with dignity are recognised as universal human rights by international conventions and instruments such as Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which has been ratified by the Government of India.
The Bill builds on the guidelines to address sexual harassment issued by the Supreme Court of India in Vishakha vs State of Rajashthan [1997(7) SCC.323]. The Ministry has called for comments and suggestions on the Bill.
To see the complete Bill click here
