When the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 was passed by Pakistan’s Parliament, it was hailed as a landmark achievement to promote and protect interests of women. Women groups appreciated the efforts of lawmakers in recognizing harassment-related issues at workplace and providing the fairer sex a platform to raise voice against such occurrences. Harassment at workplace is an ugly manifestation of gender-based violence, often accepted as a cultural norm in the Asian region.
With women comprising about one-third of the total labor force, it is imperative that a safe and productive work environment is provided to them to fully harness their potential. However, the current state of employee rights remains dismal in both the public and private sector of Pakistan. In particular, women have to deal with various forms of harassment that impedes their labor participation, productivity and overall well-being as an individual as well.
Common hostile acts against women include leering, making offensive remarks, touching and discrimination based on race, color and age. Lack of education, poor awareness about women rights and acceptance of male hegemony in society remain some of the main reasons why women are harassed even in a professional environment.
Even after three years of the legislation’s passage, public and private organizations do not have adequate awareness about how to identify and cleanse the office environment of harassment-related issues. Under the applicable law, all organizations are required to form inquiry committees to probe complaints of harassment and recommend penalties. Unfortunately, such committees do not exist in most of the organizations. Even when these committees are formed, they remain ineffective in conducting a fair inquiry into the alleged incidents of misconduct.
A recent report has shown that women working in government offices have lodged a higher number of harassment cases. Greater job insecurity in the country’s private sector may be one reason for fewer complaints as the victim may choose to suppress her feelings rather than pursue action against the harasser. As seen in many cases, filing a formal case may lead to retaliation in the form of a demotion or even loss of job for the victim. Women working in the education sector reported highest number of harassment cases. Therefore, private companies need to take urgent steps to increase awareness about workplace harassment and devise systems to resolve the arising complaints. It is imperative that all organizations prominently display the Code of Conduct in clearly understood languages.
As the workplace harassment law is only a recent development, it will certainly take public and private companies time to comply with the requirements of promoting a safer work environment. Although legislation provides some form of protection to the victims, there is a dire need to promote awareness about the types of harassment among women. In case they counter such discrimination or unacceptable behavior, they should come out in the open and raise their voice against the perpetrators without fear. Encouraging the victims to highlight such issues may help in not only upholding justice, but also restore the dignity and honor of women in Pakistan’s social setup. In this regard, all private and public stakeholders must focus on the role of education in empowering women to address their socio-economic grievances.
