SEXUAL BIAS AGAINST INDIAN WOMEN AT
THE WORKPLACE
The
Constitution of India contains a clause that guarantees every woman the right
of equality and freedom from sexual discrimination. Yet, the devaluation of women and the social
dominancy and moral policing by men continues to triumph in India.
Women are
often given the step-motherly treatment and considered to be a perpetual
nincompoop by the very same men who cannot do without the help of a woman for
their basic needs. Women’s human rights
are abused and equal opportunities are not given in terms of education,
employment or the right to maintain a dignified standard of living.
The key
factor is due to the simple fact that the mind-set of the people in general is
that boys are deemed to be more useful than girls. Boys are given the sole right to inherit the
family name and properties, viewing them as an enhanced status in the family,
due to the fact that they have a higher economic status with the given education.
A man’s good
–breeding is the best security against other people’s ill manners. It carries along with it a dignity that is
respected by the most petulant. I
agree with the quote by Lord Chatham, that Good-breeding is benevolence in
trifles, or the preference of others to us in the daily occurrences of
life.
So where do
the women of the present generation stand today?
The
Sexual Harassment of women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)
Act 2013 is a legislative act in India that seeks to protect women from sexual
harassment at their workplace. The Lok
Sabha passed this act on 3rd September 2012 and again by the Rajya
Sabha on 26th February 2013.
The Act finally came into force on 9th December 2013 after
the assent of the President on 23rd April 2013.
One of the
major features as per the VISHAKA GUIDELINES, states that there should be total
transparency in the employer-employee relationship with no traces of sexual
bias or discrimination in any way regarding the nature of the assigned
work. Yet, it continues to go on
undeterred, with the excuse that women are “incompetent”. I believe that it is their mindset that
gives the men a total insecurity complex as to why a woman should be giving
them directions. There are instances
when women are harassed to the point of being forced to be flirtatious just to
get a project passed. This is usually
done when the woman employee has been threatened of losing her job if she does
not co-operate.
Once she
gives in she is termed to be a loose-character female. There are instances when the work place
assigns a team outing where the woman is the only female in that particular
group. Her refusal to join in such an
outing is often risked with her records being tampered for future
promotions. And if she agrees to comply
with their demands, she is at a risk of facing the wrath of her orthodox family
and relatives who will never have the patience to give her an ear to her explanations.
There are
times when she is the target of male jealousy amongst her work colleagues too
in trifle matters like dressing, her cordial behavior, and her way of being
dedicated to her job. It takes the form
of physical abuse like everyone hiding her expensive winter jacket in the dusty
corner of the work table, playing with her cell-phone messages, hiding her cell
phone so that she is not easily accessible to any emergency call from her
family, or hiding it in such a place where they know she cannot reach them, stamping
and deteriorating her shoes and then asking her to go buy a new pair of shoes
if she has that money.
Even if her
work were of a fairly good standard, yet her boss would leave no stone unturned
to constantly criticize her and bellow at her while the same situation never
arises when it comes to the men. This is
nothing but direct sex discrimination.
When she
comes and narrates her woes to her family, they have the audacity to say, “You have to bear all this if you need to
keep the home fire burning. You asked
for it!”
Sure, she did
but not at the cost of losing her self-respect and dignity. What support can she expect from her family
who will anyways be pricking her with their caustic remarks, coming from a
male-dominated family? I believe that Victimization
occurs when you are treated less favorably than others because you have the
courage to complain against discrimination either at the work place or in the
family.
Aruna
Kashyap, a researcher for the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch has
rightly said, “Misogynist ideas and the notion that women and girls are
inferior to men coupled with a poor criminal justice system fuels violence
against women.”
The
empowerment of women in society today has only resulted in them facing a
backlash from forces that want to keep them constantly subjugated. Today when our women want to stand up for
themselves and challenge the very patriarchal system they are being forcibly
silenced and asked to stay away from voicing their thoughts and thinking.
So, how do we
tackle this situation? I believe that in
the first place the responsible person for sexist behavior should be made known
that such behavior is unacceptable. If
nothing comes out of this, it’s time to take the necessary action with the
concerned HR, who is deemed to take the responsible person for disciplinary
action and then fire him if he does not reconcile.
We as a
society need to be more humane towards women who are always at the receiving
end of sexism. C.H. Dall was so very right in defining a
woman – “Woman is quick to recognize genius, and to listen when wisdom speaks –
She may chatter in the presence of fools, but knows and appreciates the value
of earnest, sensible men.”
