PoSH

The PoSH Act has been implemented to prevent and protect women from sexual harassment at the workplace and thereby ensure a safe working environment for women.

The Sexual Harassment at The Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and Rules, 2013 have been notified by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The legislation has come into force on December 9, 2013. The PoSH Act, as mandatory compliance, requires every company having more than ten employees to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in the prescribed manner to receive and address the complaints of any sort of sexual harassment from women in a time-bound and extremely confidential manner.

Sexual Harassment is one of the most under-reported crimes in our organizations and even our society. It is encountered by women/men in all spaces, be it the household, the streets, the offices, etc. The space that needs a significant intervention is that of the ‘workplace’. Sexual harassment at the workplace typically ranges from mildly distasteful sexist comments and jokes, provocative e-mails, unwelcome touches, etc. The victims of sexual abuse/ harassment undergo strong emotional and physical trauma which impacts them for life. Also, the lack of support and understanding from peers makes dealing with such situations even worse.

Parwarish Cares Foundation provides advisory services to the organisations for the formation of the Complaints Committee, Training, and face-to-face workshops to create awareness about the act and comprehensively discuss the nuances of harassment at the workplace, so Internal Complaints Committee Members, Managers, and employees understand their roles and responsibilities in this area. The focus remains on a positive culture-building exercise.