03 Apr 2025|Noida | Amity University, Noida
Workshop on "Gender Sensitivity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment" held at Amity University
In compliance with UGC guidelines for creating a safe workplace for women students and staff, Amity Women Help Desk, Amity University organized a workshop on " Gender Sensitization & Awareness of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH & POCSO)". The workshop aimed to create awareness about gender sensitive behaviour and to promote gender equality, to ensure safe and respectful workplaces.
Sharing information on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Smt. Laxmi Rani, Member, Juvenile Justice Board averred, “The POCSO Act came into effect after the Nirbhaya case whose rules were made with the objective of protecting children from physical, emotional or sexual abuse, as well as protecting the interests of children at all stages of the Act. Under POCSO Act, both the person who has been accused of committing the crime and the person who is accused of committing the crime are counseled. People usually abstain from providing information about this type of incident because they feel that the police will come to their house or they will have to go to the Police Station for questioning again and again, however they have to come for questioning just once. Legal aid for victims of POCSO Act and funds for their rehabilitation are also provided.”
Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh stated that the objective of this workshop is to create awareness about the Central Act for prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace and to promote gender equality. “The workshop will also help in engaging in conversations to enable gender-sensitive spaces and safe workplaces to work. It will create awareness about the law relating to gender-sensitive behaviour and sexual harassment, thereby promoting gender equality and maintaining a safe and respectful workplace. Amity University has made its clear policy by creating an Internal Complaint Committee and Amity Women Help Desk and if any case is cognized, prompt and appropriate action is taken.”, she added further.
Giving a presentation on 'Gender Sensitivity and Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace', Dr. Kalpana Srivastava, Director, Amity Institute of Behavioural Health & Allied Sciences, said, "Gender sensitivity and prevention of sexual harassment at workplace are two sides of the same coin. It is important to remember that sexual harassment at the workplace is a violation of women's rights to life, liberty and equality. A proactive approach must be adopted to prevent this and it is our collective responsibility to know the laws and make others also aware about the laws.”
Dr. Sujata Khandai, Chairperson, Internal Complaints Committee, Amity University said that awareness programs on gender sensitization and prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace and campus are necessary for the overall development of women and girls so that they feel safe and are aware of what needs to be done, if any untoward incident occurs. On this occasion, Dr. Alpana Kakkar, Chairperson, and Dr. Nirupama Prakash, Co-Chairperson, Amity Women Help Desk, provided detailed information on the support care system and s large number of teachers and staff members participated in the workshop.