The Madras High Court recently said that any act or words that make a woman feel uncomfortable at her workplace or are perceived by her as being unwelcome constitute an act of sexual harassment as defined under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act irrespective of the perpetrator's intent behind such actions. In its order passes on Wednesday, January 22, Justice RN Manjula invoked the "reasonable woman standard" and held that the PoSH Act prioritises how a victim perceives a behaviour and not necessarily the intentions of the harasser. "If something is not received well and it is inappropriate and felt as an unwelcome behaviour affecting the other sex, namely the women, no doubt it would fall under the definition of 'sexual harassment'," the High Court said. The Madras high court observed while quashing and setting aside an order passed by a labour court that had overturned the findings of sexual harassment arrived at by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of multi-national corporation, HCL technologies against one of its senior employees. Madras High Court Constitutes SIT Comprising Women IPS Officers to Probe Anna University Sexual Assault Case.
HC Quashes ad Sets Aside Order Passed by Labour Court
Any unwelcome behaviour at workplace is sexual harassment irrespective of harasser's intent: Madras High Court
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Women and Child Helpline Numbers:
Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.
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