There are four conclusions that I’ve arrived at after reading about the Indian #MeToo movement.
- Women continue to be harassed at their workplaces, even after five years of enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
- As per this law, an ‘Internal Complaints Committee’ has to be established in every government and private organisation, which shall be authorised to deal with the complaints of sexual harassment.
- But there might be certain organisations which haven’t yet constituted an ICC. Even in the institutions where ICC exists victim’s complaint is not duly addressed, especially the ones that involve a high profile individual.
- Women who are victims of sexual harassment are apprehensive of complaining to ICC about their experience. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, gives the victim three months to submit their complaint. But, many women do register complaint fearing victim-shaming and employment prospects.
The major challenge is to encourage women to come out and share their experiences of sexual harassment. I firmly believe that all the women who are victims of sexual harassment must raise their voice. A woman must complain about such incidents, immediately at the time of its occurrence. And if she feels that her complaint is not being registered or is not being fairly addressed, she should resort to other available alternatives like calling out the harasser on social media platforms.
Also, platforms like Youth Ki Awaaz also provide a good space for such victims to share their experiences and reach out to the masses. This will help the victim is gathering enough support which will eventually force the authorities to act fairly and quickly.
Another challenge is about a few individuals who are VIPs and hold powerful and important portfolios. For them to be punished, a massive campaign will be needed. Media will be required to play a critical role in this. It will not be easy, but as India is a democracy, no government can ignore the citizen’s demands for a long time. And gradually, the law will take its course.
#MeToo is a very significant campaign. It’s all about spreading awareness and giving women the strength, to raise their voice. I sincerely hope that all the wrongdoers will be duly punished.
Lastly, I must say — Stay strong women! The entire country stands by you.