Mita Mukherjee

All government-aided and sponsored schools in West Bengal have been directed by the state government to constitute Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) to prevent sexual harassment of women teachers and employees in the institutions.

The ICCs will have to be formed in the spirit of Vishaka guidelines, now known as provisions of sexual harassment of women at work place under the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, according to an order issued by the state school education department to all state-aided and sponsored schools across Bengal.

Though the act mandated that every employer must constitute an ICC at each office including educational institutions, as of now, none of the state-aided schools in Bengal have ICCs. The complaints about sexual harassment by women teachers and employees are presently looked after by a panel set up by individual schools known as Vishaka guideline committees. The schools, in the existing system, are supposed to inform the local police stations when any sexual harassment case takes place in the institutions. The schools are also supposed to inform the police about the action taken against the accused, according to a senior official of the school education department.

But, the department had been receiving complaints from teachers that at a large number of schools, no such committees exist. Many women staff had been subjected to sexual harassment in various ways over the past few years, but, the schools had remained silent about the cases.

 “We have now decided to have ICCs at every school so that victims who allege to have been subjected to any kind of harassment, can lodge their complaint at a legal platform and get proper justice,” the education department official said.

The order signed by the commissioner of school education, directed every school to “ provide information regarding the constitution of ICC within July 7.”

“ This may be treated as extremely urgent,” the order read.

 On 13th August 1997 the Supreme Court of India held that sexual harassment of women is a violation of fundamental right of women to work in a safe environment. Subsequently in 2013 the Prohibition and Redressal Act was formulated which defines sexual harassment, lay down the procedures for lodging of complaint by a victim and the action to be taken in case of sexual harassment.

Under the 2013 act sexual harassment include one or more of certain “unwelcome acts or behavior, committed directly, indirectly or by implication”.

Such as physical contact and advances, a demand  or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks,  showing pornography or any other physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

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