By Nisha Susan
First published on December 8 2015
Today we learnt, (as always from our fav The Newsminute) that Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi recently made a simple request: make companies disclose whether they have made a committee to deal with sexual harassment complaints. In case you imagine this is a private whim of Gandhi’s (like a pop star demanding only one colour of M&Ms and orchids in his greenroom) can the thought. It’s the law, dudes. The Government of India has promulgated the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition Redressal) Act, 2013. AND the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Rules, 2013 (“Rules”). Both are with effect from December 9, 2013. Exactly two years ago. So what is the Minister asking: have you complied, fat cats oops, captains of industry and pillars of society? Bas.
But Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley feels no need, poor companies, why trouble them? What about their feelings? Why hurt in heart? (A documentary about their suffering would of course be called Mujhe Jeene Do!) Or to say it in his eye-popping bhasha quoted by The Indian Express: industrial representatives were against “enhanced disclosures under the Companies Act, 2013 and adding to these may not be desirable”. You think?! Do tell what else industrial representatives are against disclosing?
If you are bored this Tuesday, two years after our law demanded that companies just please make committees so women can imagine they have an avenue to complain about sexual harassment, think of all the committees Indian companies have formed in the last two years. And if that’s too pornographic for you, you could do a couple of other things.
— Read this heartbreaking new essay by Sara Ahmed (aka Feminist Killjoy) on sexual harassment in institutions.
— If you work in an organisation with more than 10 employees, stand up just now and enquire aloud “Guys, do we you have a sexual harassment committee?” Don’t forget to send us pictures of people’s reactions: fingerzine AT gmail DOT com.
December 8, 2015 at 6:00 am
theladiesfinger If only companies employed cows instead of women.
December 8, 2015 at 6:02 am
rangadaaku Dont say anything about cows okay? As Ogden Nash said: one end is moo, the other end milk.
December 8, 2015 at 6:04 am
rangadaaku It’s like, excuse me Union Carbide, did you leak poisonous gas in Bhopal? Corp affairs min: dont ask them personal sa sawaal
December 8, 2015 at 6:06 am
theladiesfinger UGH what is this country if a corporation can’t kill people in the privacy of their own greed? /sarcasm
December 8, 2015 at 6:46 am
theladiesfinger AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher Just saw, witll RT with outrage. But we can do something. Here’s my plan 1/n
December 8, 2015 at 6:46 am
sowmyarao_ AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher Tell off your plan. We have old-time respect for your plans.
December 8, 2015 at 6:46 am
theladiesfinger AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher Commerce min handles Companies Act – Nsitharaman. We can write a note 2/n
December 8, 2015 at 6:47 am
theladiesfinger AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher Then do http://change.org +lawfirm/lawyer supported campaign for making
December 8, 2015 at 6:48 am
theladiesfinger AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher the disc mandatory either under Comp Act or SEBI reg for listed. We may
December 8, 2015 at 6:48 am
theladiesfinger AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher def def worth pushing IMO esp if OECD/UNSC countries have this too
December 8, 2015 at 6:49 am
sowmyarao_ AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher this is woray excellent plan. Let’s start the moment you are de-flooded.
December 8, 2015 at 6:50 am
sowmyarao_ AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher superb.
December 8, 2015 at 7:58 am
theladiesfinger sowmyarao_ AshOnIndia Sairee SHEROESIndia jobsforher corporate affairs is in charge of this no? Not commerce?
December 8, 2015 at 12:38 pm
theladiesfinger they have filled annual reports with so much irrelevant mandatory data, it is crowding out relevant stuff
December 8, 2015 at 1:58 pm
theladiesfinger not to lessen the outrage, but he clearly was in the opposition when companies act 2012 was passed. So he’s all tl;dr.
December 8, 2015 at 1:59 pm
theladiesfinger sorry, that’s the sexual harassment act. My bad.