Training held on how to handle workplace harassment effectively

Islamabad

The standing inquiry committee's members from public and private sector organisations as well as civil society from 10 different cities of Pakistan came together at Mehergarh, a Centre for Learning to attend a three days training to learn how to make their workplaces more dignified and effectively handle cases of sexual harassment.

They came all the way from Mirpurkhas, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Lodhran, Quetta, Multan, Lahore, Islamabad, Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar.

It was training as part of the countrywide implementation of workplace harassment law. Training participants represented organisations like Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, National Rural Support Program, Balochistan Rural Support Program, Lok Virsa, Bedari, Lodhran Pilot Project and SPO.

Progressive managements ensure that they provide a respectable work environment so that all their employees can focus on work. They get their relevant employees properly trained in the workplace harassment legislation for effective implementation within their organisations.

It was a comprehensive training, covering the issue of sexual harassment for conceptual clarity of the participants; procedures prescribed in the law for effective implementation and handling cases of sexual harassment in the absence of evidence and witnesses, which is usually the case.

According to the law, they have to form a three-member Standing Inquiry Committee with at least one woman member to handle cases of sexual harassment so that both men and women can earn halal living in a respectful manner.

The law says that it is the responsibility of the managements to display the text of the law in their offices for easy access to information and also educate all their employees about the issue, the act and the importance of reporting cases so that they may be handled in a responsible manner.

Maliha Husain, director at Mehergarh, who facilitated the event, emphasised, “It is the responsibility of parliamentarians to make laws and it is our responsibility as citizens to ensure effective implementation. It is our responsibility to not only implement the law within our organisations, but work on raising awareness in our families and communities.”

At the end of the training, the participants shared what specific steps they will take within their organizations, their families and communities to make people aware of the stigmatised issue of sexual harassment and talk to them about how to effectively curb this inappropriate behavior.