Men’s Rights Movement opposes the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010 as introduced in Lok Sabha today. The bill is patently anti-men and does not take into consideration the viewsraised by Men’s Rights Activist. The proposed Act is gender biased. It only takes into consideration the grievances raised by women, and wholly ignores the men victim of s*xual harassment.
The Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said the objective was to enact a comprehensive legislation to provide safe, secure and enabling environment free from all forms of s*xual harassment to every woman, irrespective of her age or employment status. But, in effect, the bill is making “workplace” a dangerous place for men to work. It is making workplace dangerous for men, as any woman can file a s*xual harassment complaint against a man without any cause which will result in loss of reputation and loss of livelihood.
The definition of the proposed offence is so wide that almost anything can be alleged as s*xual harassment. It includes unwelcome s*xual behavior, s*xually determined behavior, conduct which interfere with work, humiliating conduct. These terms means different thing to different people. After reading the definition of s*xual harassment, it is difficult to pin point if there is anything which is not s*xual harassment. Further, Even men face such humiliating and discriminatory behavior at workplace. In view of this definition of s*xual harassment, there is no justification of making it a gender biased Act against men.
The proposed inquiry committee in the bill to inquire about the complaint is baised per se. It is headed by a women committed to the cause of women. It consists of women employees committed to the cause of women, representative of NGO committed to the cause of women. If so many members in the committee are committed to the cause of women, such committee cannot be impartial in the inquiry against a man. We fear that inquiry by such committee shall be prejudicial to men, prejudicial to truth and prejudicial to justice. We demand that inquiry committed must consists of people who are unbiased and objective, who can examine the complaint in an unbiased manner.
The proposed Act gives anonymity to the complainant, but no such anonymity is being given to the man against who complained has been filed. It will result in character assassination of man, defamation of man and will result in grave prejudice to men. The provision of punishment of false accuser is worded in such manner that false accusation cannot be established in any case. Further, no provision for complained by men against false complaint or intimidation of false complaint has been provided in the bill. Further, there is no provision for compensation for falsely accused man has been made in the bill.
Men’s Rights Movement demands that to stop menace of s*xual harassment at workplace, a gender neutral bill be brought which provides for unbiased and fair inquiry. The law must punishes the wrong doer, and must also protect the innocent and compensate the innocent accused adequately.