#METOO MOVEMENT IN INDIA - A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

  The #MeToo movement, which began as a hashtag on Twitter in 2017 has now become a global phenomenon.
  India is experiencing its second wave of the #MeToo movement, in which women—some of them public figures—have levelled sexual harassment charges against certain men, many of whom occupy powerful positions.
  Over the past few weeks, women in the entertainment industry and in journalism have used social media to name their alleged harassers


 Significance of the Movement

 Many personal stories of anger and guilt, buried under years of silence, emerged out to public media because of this recent campaign.
  It is creating awareness about sexual violence and sexual assault.
  It reveals one thing - the legal and systemic provisions to deal with sexual harassment have failed.  Women who suffered silently for years are now angry enough to put their faith in a “name and shame” mechanism
.  The campaign allows victims to find courage to name the accused through a collective.
  This forces administrators or the people in charge to take the problem seriously and begin a process of redress.
  It also aims to change the power dynamics between males and females by exposing the abuse of power and position by influential men for sexually harassing the women around them
.  The #MeToo movement resonated at the opening plenary session of the fifth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research.
  SDG 5 is about gender equality and calling out sexist behaviour which is at the heart of the #MeToo movement.

 Women from Unorganised Sector


  Social media has highlighted sexual harassment in offices, but there’s little recourse for those who work in homes.

  The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 provides for local complaints committees at the district level for workers from the unorganised sector.
  Domestic workers neither know of this provision nor how to reach authorities.
  Their biggest fear is counter allegations of theft which results in loss of livelihood.
  Enforcing the law for the unorganised sector has been dismal.
  There is a need to create deterrence at the community level.
  Residents’ welfare associations can start by creating committees for domestic workers to report cases.
 These can be linked to district authorities where the local complaints committees must be set up
.  Regulating placement agencies is critical to defining the employer-employee relationship.


 Importance

 Tackling workplace sexual harassment is an ethical imperative and an economic imperative.
 Such harassment infringes on an individual’s right to freedom of profession and occupation and undercuts the ideals of a modern democracy.
 Getting and retaining more women in the workforce has the potential to be a major growth driver.

 5) Issues in implementation Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act

 70% of the women do not report sexual harassment by superiors due to the fear of repercussions

.  According to a 2015 research study, 36% of Indian companies and 25% of multinational companies had not yet constituted their Internal Complaints Committee (ICCs) which is mandatory under the Act.

  Cases remain pending in court for long time enhancing the agony of victims.

 The Act does not fix accountability as to who is in charge of ensuring that workplaces comply with the Act.

 The Act does not contain provisions to address anonymous complaints

  In India wherever the accused has been influential they have got a free hand. It creates a sense of alienation, disbelief about the law. 6) Concerns / Challenges

  It has shown us that even the most privileged among women have not been spared from cultures of sexual harassment and exploitation.

  If it has taken this long for women to come out in journalism/cinema, it will be difficult for women to speak up in the corporate world or other areas that are a lot more hierarchical.

 There can be collateral damage with people getting wrongly accused.
 Women can experience health problems after workplace sexual harassment even by words also, a new study finds.
  These health problems can include high blood pressure, poor-quality sleep, anxiety and symptoms of depression.
 Greater gender diversity at the workplace—an area where India lags.


  Way Forward

  It is for policymakers and civil society to now closely examine how the system is failing women against powerful male colleagues.
 There has to be a sense of fear in the mind of the offenders which has to be ensured.

 The attitudinal change, socialisation process and education must go towards making man more sensitive while dealing with women.
  Workplace audits should be as big a priority as auditing the finances of the company.
 The law that mandate that the investigation should be completed within 90 days should be strictly adhered to.
  Adequate workshops and awareness programme against sexual harassment must be conducted.  There must also be equal punishment to women who make false charges.