In order to curb crimes against women, the Directorate of Education (DoE) on Monday directed all public, government-aided and private unaided recognised schools to set up an internal complaints committee to examine the complaints of women employees regarding sexual harassment at the workplace. The mandate has been issued in compliance with the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
The notice issued by Additional Director of Education Dr Madhu Teotia stated, “It shall be the duty of the employer or other responsible persons in work places or other institutions to prevent or deter the commission of acts of sexual harassment and to provide the procedures for the resolution, settlement or prosecution of acts, of sexual harassment by taking all steps required.”
Additionally, all employers or persons in charge of workplace in public and private sectors were asked to take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment. “Without prejudice to the generality of this obligation they should express prohibition of sexual harassment at the workplace and should notify, publish and circulate the news in appropriate ways. They should also have rules and regulations which provide for appropriate penalties against the offender. It is the prime duty of every employer of a workplace shall, by an order in writing, constitute a committee to be known as the internal complaints committee,” said Teotia.
In regard to private unaided recognized schools, Teotia said that the term ‘employers’ means the manager or the managing committee of the school. She further added that the details of constitution of the committee must be put up on the notice board of the school as well as on the school’s website. Teotia also asked the manager of all private unaided recognized schools to submit a compliance report in the office of the DoEs concerned within 20 days. “Non-compliance of above instructions shall be viewed seriously,” she said.