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WEEKLY
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| President Zardari signs women bill into law |
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
By Myra Imran
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday signed the landmark legislation “The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill, 2009” in the presence of a large number of women representing different segments of the society.
After eight years of intense consultation and lobbying, the bill has finally become an act that will make it mandatory for the management of the organisations to adopt the Code of Conduct and form a three-member inquiry committee to deal with the complaints of sexual harassment.
The management will have to form the committee and notify the employers of the Code of Conduct within one month of the passage of the bill. A management that fails to get the Code of Conduct instituted within their organisation or to establish a three-member enquiry committee can be taken to court and can be fined up to Rs100,000.
In case the perpetrator is much senior or is the owner of the business himself and the victim is not satisfied with the decision of the committee or feels that the committee cannot do justice, she can go to an Ombudsperson office, which will be established only for this purpose. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has already announced the formation of Ombudsperson for women in his March 8 speech.
The previous legislation on sexual harassment signed by the president is an amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code Section 509 that defines Sexual Harassment as a punishable crime. It protects women belonging to various sectors such as brick kiln workers, agriculture workers, domestic workers and women in the market and public places.
Admitting that it is man that actually is a weaker sex, President Asif Ali Zardari said that Benazir was much stronger than he and he was carrying forward the legacy left behind by her wife. He said that every religion gives equal rights to men and women. “Before completing its tenure, the present government will ensure that women are granted equal status in every field as Pakistan was equally made for men and women,” he said.
According to a study conducted by the AASHA, over 80 per cent of women face sexual harassment at workplaces and public places in the country. “Harassment is one of the most common issues faced by the women of Pakistan,” a statement of objects and reasons accompanying the bill said. “They face intimidation in the marketplace, in buses, at bus stops and at workplace.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
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