Sexual harassment reflects a problem that is endemic to a patriarchal society. Underlying attitudes towards girl students and women, in general, are prevalent at all levels in society. The problem routes from a lack of clarity related to gender and gender roles. The recent expansion in higher education has made colleges and universities more demographically democratic than ever before, with growing diversity and heterogeneity among social groups. Women constitute forty-two percent of all students in higher education in India today. At the same time, this closing gender gap hides ongoing inequalities and disparities among women and men, which can only be approached with an intersectional analysis that combines gender with region, class, caste, religion, ability, and sexuality among others.
As institutions of higher education engaged in teaching, research, and the spread of knowledge, Higher Educational Institutions are well placed to reflect on, become sensitized to, and oppose all forms of discrimination and harassment, especially sexual harassment on campuses across the country. Claims of equality, dignity and the ability to live, work and study without fear of harassment are intrinsic ingredients of this moment.
The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is a preventional and redressal body set up at the level of the School. The ICC, on one hand, is instrumental in taking initiatives for gender sensitization and promotion of gender equity in thoughts and behavior and on the other hand represents a reception and redressal cell for complaints of sexual harassment. The Sexual Harassment of Women under the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (hereinafter referred to as “Act”) was enacted in the year 2013 with threefold purposes:
1. Providing protection to women against sexual harassment at the workplace,
2. To prevent sexual harassment
3. To provide a redressal mechanism for complaints relating to sexual harassment at the workplace
The ICC plays an important role in the functioning of the provisions of the Act and to ensure the fulfillment of its objectives.