MARGAO
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday expressed his government’s commitment to put in place the Internal Committees in all government offices, besides aided educational institutions, private offices and factories to stop sexual harassment of women under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.
In fact, Sawant pointed out that he has instructed the Chief Secretary to immediately issue a circular insisting on setting up the Internal Committees not just in government offices, but even in aided educational institutions, besides private offices and factories coming under the ambit of the labour laws. “Not even a single government office, besides private offices and factories covered under the Labour Rules, will be left out from the purview of the Internal Committees”, he said while addressing the day-long orientation programme organised by the Goa State Commission for Women on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.
“The POSH Act, 2013 stipulates compulsorily setting up of Internal Committees. We realise about these panels only when there is an incident. And, then we set up the panel”, the CM said, while saying he has told the Chief Secretary to immediately issue the circular so that the Internal Committees are set up within a month and half.
He added: “Not a single office will be left out. We need to create a work culture in the state. We insist on gender equality. It’s nice to speak these things, but there are still instances of harassment at work places and in public places”.
Emphasizing the need to create a right work culture in the State, Sawant said the same culture of respecting women at home should prevail at work place and in public places.
Sawant also favoured that the head of the internal committees are appointed via their designations and not their names so that there committees is a continuous process even if the head is transferred out of office. He also said the Internal Committees should comprise only of women to mete out justice to the women facing sexual harassment and to achieve the objective behind enacting the law.
Saying that women empowerment was given lip service in the country post-Independence, the Chief Minister said it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who brought the Bill to give 33 per cent reservations for women in Parliament and in the state Legislative Assemblies. “The 33 per cent reservation will empower women politically and will help them to play role a big role in women-centric policies”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson, National Commission for Women, Vijayatai Rahatkar stressed on the need to implement a law in both letter and spirit. She said Goa can become the first state in the country to set up the Internal Committees in all government departments, besides educational institutions etc in the next six months.
“The Internal Committee is not just a complaint grievances panel, but has the power to ensure that proper environment is created at the work place for women. The Internal Committee has the power to take care of all issues facing women and not just harassment”, she added.
South Goa Collector Egna Cleetus the internal committee in the government offices will help address the threat of harassment to women at work places. “We should ensure that these internal committees are not only set up, but they function as per the spirit behind the legislation”, she added.
Chairperson, Goa State Commission for Women, Ranjita Pai and others also spoke.
