Lately, the phenomenon of sexual harassment of female employees in public offices has surfaced in the country. It is a sign of social aberration that brings defamation to the nation. Since our Constitution does not allow any discrimination of gender in the matters of employment in Government offices, a large number of females have found employment in public and private offices, from lowest to the highest ranks. That shows how our society is marching along healthy lines of equality and uniformity of law. However, unfortunately, we have the diseased minds among the functionaries in private and public employ that are out to break the moral laws of society. There is an unwritten code of conduct of how to behave towards the fair sex with respect and dignity. Civil Service Rules also provide for observing rules of morality and the ethics of social behaviour.
Our State is no exception to this aberration. However, it is the duty of the Government to ensure that modesty of female workers is fully protected in offices and organizations. Conscious of its responsibility of maintaining the code of conduct among the Government functionaries, the Government has ordered framing of complaint committees in each department to look into the complaints of sexual harassment and take proper action against the defaulters. A legislator raised a question to this effect in the Legislative Assembly. Social Welfare Minister, Asiea Naqash said the sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act 2013 has been extended to the State. It was in the light of that Act that complaint committees were constituted.
We appreciate the constituting of complaint committees but the question is of delivery and not of theory. The complaint committees should have the period within which a case is to be disposed off. It should have powers to call in evidence and witnesses and ask for all material evidence relevant to the case of harassment and then suggest punitive measures for curbing the tendency among the Government functionaries. It should also have the jurisdiction of proposing various measures to ensure safety and security of female workers in Government organizations. Unless the committee is given teeth, just constituting it makes little sense.
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