Sexual Bias Against Women At The Workplace

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 3^rd September 2012 and again by the Rajya Sabha on 26^th February 2013.  The Act finally came into force on 9^th December 2013 after the assent of the President on 23^rd 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.”