It is as much your responsibility to take care of your dignity and respect as it is ours.
“How do I communicate with a woman from now on? Anything and everything may be objectionable!”
“What if she makes the move? Do I respond or not?”
“Oh, so now she can blame me for things I did not do!”
“And the woman is always to be believed!”
As the laws and norms relating to protecting women from sexual harassment in the workplace evolve, in a society like ours, where gender equality is yet a distance away, there is bound to be a lot of confusion in relation to what is appropriate behavior and what is not. It is indeed difficult to understand this concept as it involves a varied range of behaviour, some so subtle that the victims may find it difficult to explain.
But then, if we sit back and think about what this ruckus is all about, we may get some clarity.
Have you watched Satyaprem Ki Katha? I haven’t watched the movie, but I understand that the plot touches the issue of taking your partner’s consent or respecting the boundaries they have created, even after marriage. Technically, you can be charged with raping your wife, if you act against her wishes. If that is required with a partner, what about colleagues?
What exactly is objectionable behavior? It is as simple as this – any action or words (even a staring glance) which could be disrespectful and impact the dignity of a woman, is objectionable. The definition of ‘sexual harassment’ in the POSH Act includes unwelcome acts which could be initialing physical contact and sexual advances, passing sexually coloured remarks, making a demand or request for sexual favours, showing pornography and other form of unwelcome conduct whether physical, verbal or non-verbal.
Any implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment, threat of detrimental treatment or threat of present or future employment status; any interference with work or creating an intimidating or offensive or hostile work environment or humiliating treatment at your work place further corroborates the above unwelcome behavior. Many times fear is involved as one person may be in a position of power and control over the other.
We need to bear in mind that though sexual harassment is mostly associated with the making of unwelcome or uninvited advances to a colleague of the opposite gender, in certain cases it can exist within the same gender as well. Thus, sexual harassment at work is merely an extension of the perpetrator’s general attitude in life. It is a habit of showcasing discriminatory and exploitative behaviour, which thrives in the work atmosphere (and may surface outside work too).
Potential perpetrators need to realise that sometimes there is a thin line between humour and disrespect - between interest and force - between support and exploitation. Each one of us should be conscious enough to not cross that line. When I say 'us', I am being gender neutral. Sometimes, it could be that men, too, feel the need to be protected under the PoSH regime.
I am happy to be a part of an organisation which has zero tolerance to such behaviour. This is one place where I have felt most comfortable from day one; I have not had even one stray incident of inappropriate behaviour to deal with. Having said that, I am extremely capable of dealing with any untoward episodes. I urge each of you to be alert and confident and to build your capability too. If you are allowing unacceptable behaviour, analyse the reason you are doing so, as you are responsible to ensure that your dignity and respect is maintained. If you are unable to do so, we are right here to assist you.
For the sake of bringing some clarity to the situation, let me summarise this:
Sexual harassment is not restricted to women alone, however women deal with it more often and in various ways.
The way one dresses or conducts themselves is not an invitation or motivation for any harassment and cannot be considered as a cause.
Like most problems in life, there is a solution to any kind of harassment or embarrassment that you may encounter.
It is as much your responsibility to take care of your dignity and respect as it is ours.
Thus, in these matters, to avoid stress, always err on the side of caution.
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