POSH Act came into effect n India in the year 2013. However awareness about the provisions of POSH Act and compliance with its provisions by commercial establishments is extremely low. Even those organizations which comply with it only do so, to meet the basic statutory compliance requirements. Very few companies are working towards implementing the provisions of POSH Act in letter and spirit.
If the provisions of POSH Act are implemented in letter and spirit it will help increase employment opportunities for women and also enhance the efficiency of performance of organizations. This is bound to benefit the organizations as well as the overall economy of India.
The POSH Act aims to create a safe work environment for women and thereby create equal employment opportunities to women. Promoting and spreading awareness about the benefits of creating equal opportunities for women at workplace will ensure better compliance of the provisions of the act. Hence Government has made it mandatory for commercial establishments to conduct POSH Awareness workshops for employees at regular intervals.
The biggest challenge lies where it all begins; in our society. As a society, we are still not evolved enough to understand what constitutes sexual harassment. There are many grey areas and most organizations are not aware of the difference between harassment and sexual harassment. In a number of instances, the victim is also not aware of her rights and when she can report misbehaviour. Perspectives differ and hence, in spite of having policies in place, the Act is not able to benefit organizations the way it should.
Importance of POSH Training
Many male employees are not aware of what amounts to Sexual Harassment. Some men indulge in acts that amount to infringement of the provisions of the POSH Act as they are ignorant. Sometimes efficient male workers who are an asset to an organization from work perspective may lose their place in a company because of indulging in sexual harassment because of ignorance. Conduct of gender sensitization workshops and POSH Awareness workshops for employees will help overcome this problem.
SHAURYA is experienced and well equipped to conduct POSH Awareness workshops. If you would like POSH awareness workshops to be conducted you can call +91 63006 57008 or write to madhukar@shaurya.org.in