90% women don’t report harassment, says BJP’s Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi
She also highlighted the lack of childcare facilities as another key reason why many skilled women are forced to leave the workforce;
BJP’s Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan
CHENNAI: BJP’s Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan on Thursday voiced serious concerns in the State Assembly regarding the challenges faced by women in private workplaces due to the absence of a mechanism to address sexual harassment.
Participating in the debate on the demand for grants for the Labour and MSMEs department, she stated that nearly 90 per cent of women employees are unable to report incidents of sexual harassment due to the improper implementation of mandated safety mechanisms.
“The Supreme Court has mandated the formation of Vishakha committees in all workplaces to address sexual harassment. However, these are often not set up or do not function effectively. As a result, most women are unable to speak up about the harassment they experience,” Vanathi said during her address.
She also highlighted the lack of childcare facilities as another key reason why many skilled women are forced to leave the workforce.
“Many talented women resign from their jobs to take care of their children due to the absence of crèche facilities. In several foreign countries, women are now choosing not to marry because of inadequate childcare infrastructure. If we don’t act now, India could face a similar situation in the next 25 years,” she warned.
She demanded that the government make it mandatory to set up child care centres in all workplaces.
