Who is responsible for prevention? – Sexual harassment is a gender-neutral offense, at least in theory: Men can sexually harass women, and women can sexually harass men. However, statistics show that the overwhelming majority of sexual harassment claims and charges are brought by women claiming that they were sexually harassed by men. This topic includes all those who are responsible and accountable for the prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace as per the act. The preventive authorities may include employer, appropriate government, district officer.
It is the responsibility in general to:
- Create and communicate a detailed policy;
- Ensure awareness and orientation on the issue;
- Constitute Complaints Committee/s in every workplace and district so that every working woman is provided with a mechanism for redress of her complaint(s);
- Ensure Complaints Committees are trained in both skill and capacity;
- Prepare an annual report and report to the respective state government;
- District Officer will also appoint a nodal officer to receive complaints at the local level.
The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, manager, or coworker. An employer may even be liable for harassment by a nonemployee (such as a vendor or customer), depending on the circumstances.
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