Unsafe women

THE Kolkata rape-murder has glaringly shown how unsafe and vulnerable working women are. Twenty-seven years after it acknowledged sexual harassment at the workplace as a human rights violation and issued the Vishaka Guidelines, the Supreme Court has directed the Centre and the states to take urgent steps to institutionalise the safety of medics. A National Task Force, set up in compliance with the apex court’s directive, has been tasked with formulating effective recommendations relating to the safety, working conditions and wellbeing of medical professionals. It is hoped that these recommendations — if they indeed prove to be effective — will have a bearing on the security of women in any profession. For that to happen, all stakeholders must be on the same page.

While charting a new action plan, there is a dire need to assess how far the existing laws and guidelines have succeeded in bringing about a difference on the ground. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, was enacted as an extension of the Vishaka Guidelines with the primary aim of ensuring safe working spaces for women. Last year, the Supreme Court flagged ‘serious lapses’ and ‘uncertainty’ regarding the implementation of this Act.

The Nirbhaya Fund, set up by the Union Government to implement initiatives and schemes for enhancing the safety and security of women, has often been in the news for the wrong reasons — money being underutilised or misused. Over the past nine years, nearly 76 per cent of the allocated funds have been spent by various states and union territories, but there has been a drop of only 9 per cent in the number of rape cases reported across India. These sobering facts should be borne in mind while undertaking any new initiative. Women’s safety and their greater participation in the workforce will remain elusive unless stringent action is taken not only against the offenders but also the authorities guilty of dereliction of duty.