SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION

Report:

The Sexual Harassment Prevention Cell is constituted in the College for the redressing of problems by the B.Ed students and women employees against matters related to sexual harassment. The Cell had the following objectives:

• • To develop the skill of addressing the victim needs
• • To develop an understanding about the purpose of the Cell
• • To update the impact of harassment or exploitation
• • To determine the set of behavior to be maintained in work places, social gatherings, classrooms etc
• • To develop effective strategies to avoid harassment in any situation
• • To develop the skill of reporting any kind of harassment and reciprocate intellectually
• • To know about the ways of filing complaints against sexual abuse

The College conducts two meetings in the academic year under the leadership of the Coordinator assisted by two staff members and three student representatives both B.Ed and M.Ed. The student cabinet is also a part of this Cell. The meeting begins with a prayer followed by reading the minutes of the previous meet by the Coordinator. Each objective is analyzed and the matter related to the same is discussed. The cabinet members and the student representatives take leadership in addressing the other classmates based on reporting any kind of issues and highlighting them during the Cell meetings. A suggestion box is also kept in the library if the student wants to drop the complaint confidentially. Each problem or issue is then discussed followed by solving their problems to the maximum. The reports are taken seriously by the committee members and issues are dealt promptly.

The most common type of complaints that students expressed are:

• • Misbehavior while travelling in bus or train
• • Eve teasing
• • No safety while walking alone during late night hours
• • Misbehavior in classrooms, use of sexist terms, unwanted touching, taunting, uncomfortable gestures etc.

While the Committee shared grievances or matters concerning harassment the students shared a few opinions about the measures or programmes to prevent sexual harassment.

• • Students felt that talks on sexual identity, awareness about good behavior, women folk at target would be very fruitful
• • Seminar on anti sexual-harassment guidance would help in maintaining a safe and healthy environment