Efficacy of the Sexual Harassment Act 2013 in India

Sexual harassment against women in workplace has become a major unresolved problem in every sector of the economy. It is considered violation of women‟s rights to equality, life and liberty. Sexual harassment may take distinct and varied forms encompassing a wide range of unwanted sexual advances including unnecessary physical contact, touching or patting; suggestive and unwelcome remarks, jokes comments about appearance and deliberate verbal abuse; learning and comprising invitations; use of pornographic pictures at workplace; demands for sexual favours; or physical assault. Sexual harassment at workplace creates an insecure and hostile work environment, which discourage women‟s participation in work, thereby negatively affecting social and economic empowerment. To provide a protective, preventive and redressal mechanism at workplace for women, The Indian legislature enacted „The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal), Act 2013‟. This paper is based on the research conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Act after completing seven years of implementation of the Act in India.