UGC releases fresh safety guidelines for women

CHENNAI: In a bid to provide further safety for the campus communities, especially for women, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced fresh guidelines since the committee observed that still, there is a strong need to challenge the culture of silence that perpetrate acts of violence against women be it within the campus or outside.

Accordingly, every college, university and other educational institution must have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted as per the legal requirements in the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

However, the commission is of the opinion that most of the colleges do not follow this procedure and information about the Internal Complaints Committee , its members, their contact details phone, email, and details about the role and responsibilities of the ICC should be prominently uploaded on the website of the institution.

The commission said that the ICC will work towards prevention and grievance redressal and look into all complaints of sexual harassment filed by women students and women staff members and adhere to all the rules and regulations stipulated in this Act.

Similarly, the UGC has instructed a detailed plan that the students should be provided with a handbook at the time of admission that would contain detailed information about rules and regulations regarding proper conduct and behaviour expected of them.

It should list the helpline numbers of Internal Complaints Committee members, student counsellors, anti-ragging cell, proctor office, medical emergencies, health centre, canteen, and other university authorities to be approached in case of need.

Stating that universities must advocate a zero-tolerance policy with respect to sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination on the campus, the guidelines said that there should be completely gendered sensitisation seminars, contests, exhibitions, debates, and film screenings should be organised regularly to sensitize the students, teachers and other staff about the existing gender stereotypes that reinforce gender-based discrimination and violence.