Analysis of Sexual Harassment of Women

Women constitute half the humanity. Despite being endowed with certain peculiar features both physical and temperamental, men and women are complementary to each other. Their diverse physical and temperamental qualities together form a complete race. Hence, logically both should have equal status. The Indian concept of Ardhanarishwara very well depicts this view.

Ardhanarishwara divides himself/ herself in the form of Adipurush (Male) and Prakriti (Female) for the task of creation. None of them can perform task without the involvement of the other.

The male and female are equal partners in the creation, development and the progress of the society. Both should be given equal importance and opportunities and should be treated equally. If the balance is lost, it will be detrimental to the whole society.

Unfortunately, this balance has not been maintained in human society. Woman every where in the world has been subjected to various injustices. In India, ruthless male domination over women has been continuing since pre-historic times. There has been unjustifiable discrimination between male and female child, man and woman. Women are considered as chattels and object of sense gratification. The history of women suppression in India is very long. Women have suffered and are suffering with discrimination in silence. Everywhere women have been subjected to inequalities, inequities, indignities and discrimination.

Discrimination de-empowers because discrimination in any form masks the human capabilities. Any factor that negates the human capabilities has to be reckoned as a factor of de-empowerment. Discrimination in matters pertaining to personal status de-empowers an individual from losing a dignified life’s.

In human society, social differences between the sexes are most common where male are more prominent than women. Male are considered as in superior than the women. Discrimination between the two genders is most common problem in which regard women are treated as the prejudice to the other men. In India, women are not safe at all because they are been treated inferior than the men and they are prone to crime because of the mentality of the society. Most of the heinous and aggravated crime is committed over them only. It’s not about the age because be it a little school child, a mother, a sister or anyone else all are suffering from the same problem. They are treated prejudice to the other men. The status of women in society is not so good because from the little child to older women all are facing the same crime which could be done in any form. They are not compared to their calibre but they are always given less respect as compared to the men. The exploitation of women has no link with the exposure of women because if it’s like that then the women are safer in their homes but nowadays they are not safe in their hoe as well. Educated women who all are working with in some firm or companies would have never complain of harassment by their own colleagues with whom they have been working.

In India, no women are safe. Heinous and heart exaggerated crimes are been happened to the women. Whether be it a little girl, or a mother, or a sister every women are considered at same footing, all are considered vulnerable in nature. Exploitation of women are nowhere in India synonyms to un-education. It is nowhere related to their exposure because if it is one of the reason then women must be safer in their homes, colleges, schools or companies where they used to work. Women are considered epitome of crime because they are treated inferior than the men. They are not given equal status as compared to men. Women in her life discharges so many role whether as daughter, sister or stepping into someone’s life as a wife, after giving birth to a child as a mother or as a employee at a workplace. It is a justified principle and it is not at all a matter of debate that women are a weaker section of the society. Women are considered stronger than the men because they have been given more function or role to perform in their daily life.

A society cannot get progress by suppressing one section and giving much importance to the other section. No society can be developed without giving much importance to the women. They cannot be crushed by the society in terms of their progress. If the society is compared as a vehicle, then the women are the wheel of the vehicle. Women has also the rights which are been given to the men. They also have right to life and dignity. She also has the right to felt safe and protected at their workplace.

In present scenario, women take the responsibilities of outside as well as their homes also. They used to perform dual nature of work. As the cost of living in the society where everything is too costly, women also used to woke outside in terms of their family’s livelihood. Women are working outside to supplement family’s income. As the Indian society in changing traditionally, women are getting employed in various sectors where they are giving their best and a tough competition to the other half. Here again, women are discriminating in different foots whether in terms of their safety, equal opportunities, salary, equal wages, promotions and various social benefits. Women are suffering from sexual exploitation, eve- teasing, physically abuse and molestation at workplace where they used to work by their office mates or clients or somebody else. This situation become even worse when women who belonged to the socio-economic group and they are placed to an unorganized sector.

Even though women perform their two-thirds of world’s work, they receive only one-tenth of the income and own less than the one-hundredth of the property. This speaks of the gender bias and deep rooted prejudice and discrimination against women in general. A significant percentage of world’s population is constantly subjected to crimes, such as torture, eve-teasing, molestation, rape, sexual harassment, female foeticide, only because that are helpless women or female. The crimes amount to gross violation of the victim’s right and shatters her self-respect and robs her dignity of being a woman- a human. There are several constitutional provisions which have given rights to women. For instance, we have Article 14 which speaks about right to equality. Under Article 14, all the citizens of India whether men or women must be given the right to equality which means that women are also having the right to do anything which a men can do and they cannot be discrimination on the basis of gender to perform any work which they want to do. Again, we have Article 15 which speaks about the special privilege given to the women. Under Article 15, women can be given special privilege as compared to the men. Article 21 speaks about right o life and personal dignity. This Article says that every citizen of India have the right to life and can live their life with their own wish. The directive principle of state policy contained in part IV of the constitution under Article 38 and 39 which directs to provide equal rights and equal status for men and women to adequate means of livelihood. Article 42 of The Constitution of India states that the state shall make provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work. Article 51-A (e) it is the fundamental of every citizen to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.

Apart from the constitutional provision, there are sections 509, 294 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with obscenity, eve-teasing and sexual harassment of women. There are various international convention laws related to sexual harassment of women which are: i.) Convention on elimination of discrimination against women (CEDAW). It was adopted in 1979 when the awareness on sexual harassment of women at workplace was only beginning to emerge. It was rather seen to be a form of violence against women and its prevention was interpreted to be covered under the prevention of all forms of violence under the Convention. ii.) Universal declaration of human rights (UDHR). In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Sexual harassment at work place is a form systematic of violence against women. Most of the women face the sexual harassment at work place by their colleagues, clients or employers. Women who work in fields and mines are harassed by the landlords or thekedars. Women who work in industrial area have been harassed by the union, supervisors or the owner of the industry. Women and girl students who are in educational institution have been harassed by their faculty or by their institution friends.

Though sexual harassment at work place is an old-age problem, women have been left to deal with it or their own or sometimes with the support of women’s organization. Increasing participation of women in all fields of work, changes in social attitudes towards women have not shown much progress… there have been no effective legal measures to counter it. The problem received judicial recognition when on August 13, 1997 in vishaka a three judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chef Justice delivered a significant judgment on sexual harassment at work place, ratifying guidelines drawn up by the women’s group.

The beginning of such a serious problem of sexual harassment has origin from the concept of ‘gender bias’. Though violence against women may take many forms ranging from mental torture to dowry deaths, eve-teasing, assault and rape are few to be listed in the social structure and legal framework of the society which make the women a target of such heinous crime. Today, our major issues are human rights and justice for all. But can we achieve these goals without ascertaining rights to women and protecting them from various abuses?

Women are treated as less deserving as compared to men. They are given more opportunities as to women.

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