13 years after the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court where CJ Verma for the unanimous court issued guidelines for the protection of woemn at the workplace, the Cabinet has decided to place Protection of WomenAgainst Sexual Harassment At the Workplace Bill, 2010 before the legislature.
The bill, following closely on the definitions and guidelines issed by the 1990 Apex Court ruling, seems to have tried to bypass logistical difficulties in implementing the said guidelines. A detailed analysis of the Bill is available here.
While the Bill is most likely to be passed by the legislature – and this’s a positive move- I am predisposed to believing that the safeguards against abuse incorporated in the bill are insufficient. Such mechanisms, which carry an inherent burden of proof in favour of the victim pose as likely avenues of abuse. More to come on it.
This bill in its current form will no doubt become another IPC 498a