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March 29, 2024
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EditorialWorkplace harassment: File or fire?

Workplace harassment: File or fire?

That workplace harassment has become rampant isn’t an exaggeration. It has been reported that since the resurgence of the global #MeToo movement in 2017, the Punjab Ombudsman’s office has received 200 to 250 petitions every month and hears about six to eight cases of harassment daily. These figures are only from one province, one can only wonder the gravity of the situation once data from other provinces have also been tallied. But despite the rise in the number of cases of workplace harassment, it has been noted that complaints remain fewer.

In 2010, the federal government had enacted the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, which was later amended in 2012. The law stipulated the setting up of ombudsman offices across the country. However, while offices have been set up and law is in place on paper, the reality remains that victims – in most cases women – are not empowered enough to take their harassers to court. This is mainly because more often than not, the harasser is at a power holding position and victims fear losing their jobs over allegations. We have ample evidence of such incidences being reported in this paper alone. The recent harassment case at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi saw a student being expelled for speaking up against a senior officer harassing his subordinate. In this case, a third part was also not spared.

Let us also not forget that in July this year the Supreme Court ruled that it is the responsibility of the victim to prove the perpetrator’s sexual intentions under the Workplace Harassment Act 2010. The high court judge was hearing a case filed by a female employee of the PTV against her male colleagues. If the top court of the country puts onus on the aggrieved victim, then one can only imagine how the legal proceeding works in city courts. We must then not be surprised that fewer complaints are made despite an uptick in cases of workplace harassment. To ensure a safe working environment, the companies themselves need to make the process of complaining less cumbersome, while also empowering subordinates with the knowledge on how to lodge complaints without revealing their identity. More importantly, gender sensitization programmes should be launched across all sectors to curtail the occurrence of incidences of harassment all together.

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