Women Harassment Prevention Committees are inevitable: ICDS PD

Karimnagar: Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Project Director (PD) M Sarada observed that it is inevitable to form women harassment prevention committees in public and private institutions. Government departments or private agencies may set up internal committees and inform to women's welfare department. She warned that if they do not do so, they will be dealt harshly.

Speaking with The Hans India, the PD said that she had recently resolved a complaint from Building Construction Women Labour. She said the committee is being strengthened at the behest of Karimnagar District Collector Sarfaraz Ahmed.

As per section 4(1) of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) will be constituted by every employer in all administrative units or offices located at different places or divisional or sub-divisional level for prevention and redressal of complaints of sexual harassment.

The Internal Committee shall consist of the following members to be nominated by the employer - a Presiding Officer, who shall be a woman employed at a senior level at workplace from amongst the employees (if a senior level woman employee is not available, then the Presiding Officer shall be nominated from other offices or administrative units of the workplace referred to in sub-section and if in case the other offices or administrative units of the workplace do not have a senior level woman employee, the Presiding Officer shall be nominated from any other workplace of the same employer or other department or organisation); not less than two members from amongst employees preferably committed to the cause of women or who have had experience in social work or have legal knowledge; one member from amongst non-governmental organisations or associations committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with the issues relating to sexual harassment.

At least one-half of the total members so nominated should be women. The Presiding Officer and every member of the Internal Committee will hold office for a period not exceeding three years, from the date of their nomination as may he specified by the employer.

The member appointed from amongst the non-governmental organisations or associations will be paid fees or allowances for holding the proceedings of the Internal Committee, by the employer as may be prescribed. If the Presiding Officer or the committee members are found guilty or convicted of any crime, they will be removed from the post.

The Women Development and Child Welfare Department has launched a web portal http://tshebox.tgwdcs.in/ to register Local Complaints Committee(LCC) and Internal Complaint Committee (ICC).

ICDS Project Director Sarada said all the district officials were instructed to frame the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) and register it in the above mentioned web portal and send compliance report. If the committees are already framed, then she asked them to upload the details in the web portal and report compliance to the District Welfare Officer, Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens, Karimnagar immediately without fail.