Campaign at PU on gender-based violence

Under the aegis of UGC’c 16 days of activism, an awareness campaign for eliminating gender based violence was organised at Panjab University (PU) here yesterday.

The Department-cum-Centre for Women’s Studies & Development, PU, organised an awareness/sensitisation programme on sexual harassment of women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013) for the faculty, non-teaching staff, research scholars and students of the university. Manvinder Kaur, senior faculty and former chairperson, PUCASH, delivered a talk on how to effectively tackle sexual harassment of women at workplace.

By narrating the sexual violence perpetrated against Bhanwari Devi, Sathin, who had opposed child marriage, explained the struggle faced by Bhanwari, the subsequent origin of the Vishakha guidelines and the foundation of the Sexual Harassment Act, 2013. She articulated that two decades back, there was no provision against sexual harassment. The socio-cultural barriers which hinder the filing of complaint against sexual harassment was highlighted. The subtle ways in which sexual harassment takes place was also elaborated upon.

The workable solutions which emerged from the discourse was need for generating more awareness regarding the act, keeping strict confidentiality of the aggrieved, the constituents of the complaint, the number of days in which the complaint is to be filed, etc. Faster complaint redress mechanisms and conciliation without monetary settlement was stressed upon.

Rajesh K Chander, chairperson, in his opening remarks called for a society which is free of gender-based violence and child-marriage free.