Sexual harassment is a heinous violation of women's equality and dignity. It stems from patriarchy and the associated belief that males are superior to women and that some forms of violence against women are acceptable. One of these is workplace sexual harassment, which regards various forms of such harassment as innocuous and insignificant. It is frequently justified as a 'normal' masculine activity or 'harmless flirtation' that woman like. Contrary to popular belief, it causes significant harm and is a clear expression of sex discrimination in the workplace. It not only violates a woman's fundamental rights under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Indian Constitution to "practice any profession or carry out any occupation, trade or business," but it also erodes equality and jeopardises workers' dignity and physical and psychological well-being. This results in low productivity and a detrimental impact on people's lives and livelihoods. To make matters worse, deep-rooted socio-cultural behavioural patterns that build a gender hierarchy tend to cast blame on the victim, exacerbating inequity in the workplace and in society at large. It is vital to emphasise that the Act provides women with a legal remedy in addition to other laws that are currently in effect. As a result, any woman who desires to report instances of sexual harassment at work has the option of pursuing both civil and criminal proceedings.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment cell