Bangalore: “We have had no complaints regarding cases of sexual harassment reported by women,” said D Roopa, DIG, Economic Offences Wing, Karnataka at the ‘Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace’ workshop organised by the Karnataka Employees Association in the city on Wednesday.
As for the ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’, she said that even though women do get harassed at their workplaces or outside the offices, her team has not received any complaints in this regard. "Even before and after the Act came into force, I have not come across even one woman approaching the police," Roopa said.
She feels that there can be many reasons for this. Unfortunately in many cases it involves employers and hence few women gather courage to complain. Another reason is that in most of these cases there is no proof.
She further stressed that “It is a mandatory Act and every organisation should form Internal Complaints Committee and it should be informed of sexual harassment cases." Hence any unwelcome gesture with sexual undertones can be and should be brought to the notice of the committee without any fear, she added.
She, however, she felt there can be room for subjectivity. “It can have subjective interpretation. What may be harassment to one woman may not be so in case of other,” Roopa said.
