Port Blair Nov 8: As more women step confidently into professional spaces, the call for safer, more inclusive workplaces grows stronger. Recognizing this need, the Committee on the POSH Act of the Calcutta High Court organized a sensitization programme on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 at the Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court in Port Blair on Thursday.
The session, inaugurated by Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court, set the tone for a dialogue centered on dignity, equality, and accountability at workplaces. Delivering the keynote address, Justice Shampa Sarkar emphasized that with women constituting nearly 37% of the national workforce, ensuring their comfort, safety, and respect at work is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative. “Every woman must feel safe to participate and progress in her profession without fear or prejudice,” she stated, urging all employers to strictly adhere to the provisions of the POSH Act. She further called for visible complaint mechanisms — including helplines, email IDs, and complaint boxes — to empower women to report harassment without hesitation.
Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay, while summarizing the discussions, urged organizations to make information about the POSH Act accessible in regional languages and to organize regular awareness drives. She highlighted the need for every institution to nurture an environment where gender sensitivity is practiced daily, not just preached.
The programme, attended by several legal luminaries and representatives from diverse sectors, featured insightful sessions.
Speakers discussed key aspects of the POSH framework, including the role and functioning of Internal Committees, confidentiality in inquiries, employee sensitization, and employer accountability. They stressed that creating a safe workplace is foundational to increasing women’s participation and leadership in all sectors — from courts and offices to factories and field sites.
The sensitization programme concluded with a collective call to action — to build workplaces where women are not only present but empowered, and where respect and equality form the cornerstones of professional culture.
