Officials during a workshop on the "Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace" in Kohima on July 8. (Photo Courtesy: ATI)
Kohima, July 9 (MExN): The Administrative Training Institute (ATI), in collaboration with the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR), organised a two-day workshop on the "Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace" from July 7 to 8, with officials from district administrations and various government departments participating.
During an interactive session, Additional Chief Secretary and Director General of ATI, V Shashank Shekhar, interacted with participants, who shared their experiences and perspectives on workplace safety and the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (PoSH Act) in their respective offices and in the wider social context.
Participants identified fear of stigmatisation and retaliation as major challenges in reporting incidents of inappropriate behaviour at workplaces. They also observed that inadequate awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment has led to the normalisation of inappropriate verbal remarks, including sexually suggestive jokes and comments.
The participants stressed the need to create safer workplaces by enhancing awareness of the PoSH Act, strengthening the functioning of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and Local Committees (LCs), and promoting a culture of respect and accountability.
They also highlighted the role of churches and civil society organisations in raising awareness and encouraging respectful workplace behaviour.
The participants further emphasised that perpetrators of workplace sexual harassment should be held accountable. They also underlined the importance of families in instilling moral and ethical values from an early age.
Shekhar thanked the participants for their active engagement and valuable suggestions. He also shared an old adage that "pointing out unrighteousness is also righteousness."
The workshop was attended by Additional Director, ATI, Bendanglila; Joint Director, ATI and workshop coordinator, Kaholi Sema; and other officers and staff of the institute.
