How to prevent harassment at workplaces – BY-Mahnoor Bhatti
Harassment is defined as unacceptable or disrespectful behavior that makes a person feel uncomfortable, scared, or embarrassed. Speaking harassment, sexual assault, verbal harassment, sending obscene photos to someone over email, and messaging are all examples of harassment. Every day, we read in the local news and on social media about a woman who has been harassed at work or outside. There are a lot of irrational situations reported, which we can’t imagine. Many females do not disclose harassment situations because they are afraid of violence from their families and because they believe they will be fired if they file a complaint against the harasser.
Sexual harassment has two forms: physical sexual abuse and online sexual harassment, and it occur not only in the workplace but also in academic institutions. According to a survey by Pakistan’s national commissioner for children and women, about 93 percent of Pakistani women have been subjected to sexual abuse and harassment in public or at work at some point in their lives.
How to prevent sexual harassment? Despite being harassed, females in Pakistan usually don’t file a complaint because they are scared of being rejected. Some women who want to file a complaint also get harassed by the person who filed the complaint, and then they quietly endure it. Not filing a complaint means to make “an offender powerful.” Sexual harassment is illegal and, to prevent sexual harassment, the vulnerable victim needs to understand it can only stop if the victim can name and shame the harasser in public.
If an offender is convicted of a crime of workplace harassment against women, there are two types of sanctions. Simple consequences include denial of attainment or bonuses, complete withdrawal, and payment of compensation and damages if the accuser successfully makes a claim. For a short time, the benefit of the doubt can save the criminal. Then there are harsh consequences such as forceful retirement or dismissal from the job, a fine, the loss of company-provided benefits such as a car and a home, prohibition from working for other firms, and the filing of a formal complaint against the guilty.
According to Section 510 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, a drunken individual who disturbs and harasses a female will be imprisoned or fined. If a guy abuses a woman, says something hurtful, or makes a dirty gesture in public, he will be sentenced to three years in prison or a fine.
Section 366A of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 prohibits sexual solicitation of juvenile girls. Any person who, by any means, forces or seduces an underage girl to engage in sexual intercourse is guilty of a crime punishable by up to ten years in jail and a fine. Under section 8 of the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010, a victim can register a complaint immediately through the citizen portal, or to the Ombudsman or the Inquiry Committee.
Sexual harassment is against the law, and the vulnerable victim must realise that it can only be stopped if the harasser is named and shamed in public. There are a few more things to bear in mind whether you’re a victim of harassment in the workplace, educational institutions, at home, or anywhere else.
If you are being blackmailed, make a video of the situation and report it to the authorities. Never accept a job offer from a non-recognized or recently established small business or employer, as they frequently promote, “We need female executived, female sales managers for our organisation.” Contact the FIA’s “Cyber Crime Wing” if you have received unwelcome messages, calls, or requests from the same person on social media. Avoid meeting alone with any employees, coworkers, or even strangers.
Mahnoor Bhatti
IIU Islamabad.
