Report on the third consultation meeting

On 28^th September, 2013 the third consultation meeting was held. The meeting was scheduled with the purpose of further planning the implementation and follow up activities in the project.

In the meeting the members of the sexual harassment complaint committee Ms. Neelu, Ms. Shaila Parween, Ms. Shivani were present. Moreover, Mr. Bhushan, senior staff (Accountant cum Admin Assistant) of Mahila Jagaran Kendra, Ms. Puja was present in the consultation.

A brief presentation of the targets achieved and planning of the implementation and follow-up of the project was made by Ms. Puja. The presentation of the project involved following major points:

Targets achieved:

—  Conducting the Survey  - took one month

—  Data Entry – took 10 days

—  Report Writing – took roughly one month

—  Consultation – held on 15^th September, 2013

—  Release of report (public domain and media coverage) - on 15^th September, 2013

Implementation and follow-up of the project: Focus Areas

—  Bonding with the respondents/ employers/institutions/organizations covered in the survey – Following tools shall be used to make the implementation of the sexual harassment law a ground reality:

§  Initial meetings on setting up the internal complaint committee and their proper functioning

§  Acquiring relevant info about the matter through RTI

§  Developing a training module

§  Training on the Sexual harassment laws, particularly the formation and functioning of complaint committee

—  Making it a wide spread issue by linkage with media & networking –

—  Linkage with the electronic/print media (Popular media) & social networking for spreading mass awareness on the issue of sexual harassment as well as sexual harassment laws. Moreover, making the government, employers and general mass sensitive through regular awareness programs on electronic media such as; launching women based programs on Doordarshan , AIR and other media channels as well as through popular media such as; Radio Mirchi, Blog activities and other social networking activities.

—  Signature campaigns – for passing a state law, survey, study, strong implementation of the act. Making the general mass a part of the signature campaign in manual form or through internet.

—  Advocacy with the government –

—  Submission of our study report to the government

—  RTI for obtaining information that:

—  Whether the government has any data of such cases

—  The level of implementation of the sexual harassment law passed in the year 2013

—  Submitting a list of recommendations to the government bearing the signature of public at large

—  Pressurizing the government for making & passing a state law on this matter.

—  Follow-up for the implementation of the sexual harassment law by the government on the specified areas provided below:

—  Survey and study in the matter

—  Ensuring formation of the local complaint committee at the block and district level in each district

—  Awareness drives by the government

—  Legal trainings of the nodal officers, internal and local complaint committee,

—  Constitution of a regulatory body to supervise complaint committees at workplace and review their work.

—  Finding out the successful cases

—  Finding out the victims of sexual harassment at workplace who have succeeded in their case.

—  Compilation of the story

—  Formation of book

—  Press release of the book

Suggestion on the planning and implementation

—  A monitoring shall be undertaken by the sexual harassment complaint committee of Mahila Jagaran Kendra in all the organizations surveyed on the matter of the formation of the sexual harassment complaint committee and its proper functioning.

—  In the awareness programs with the electronic or the popular media the state shall not be targeted as we have to make a balanced relationship with the state for achieving our goal in advocacy with the state.

—  An RTI shall be made by the organization in matters of:

—  Knowledge about the state level sexual harassment complaint committee formed in Bihar.

—  Its functioning and name and details of its members.  

—  Whether the local level (in each block) sexual harassment complaint committee has been formed or not.

—  An RTI shall also be made in the government departments about the facilities provided to the women as well as about the compliance of sexual harassment laws. 

—  Submitting a recommendation with the report of our survey as well as the report based on the RTI papers to be filed in the government departments to the Minister and Chief Secretary of the Social Welfare Department of Bihar.

—  Pressurizing the government for mass awareness through putting hoardings on public spaces, newspapers and electronic media about the sexual harassment laws.