Goa government on Saturday issued an advisory to all its departments and public and private organisations to constitute Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs) or face penalty under Section 26 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal ) Act, 2013.
The advisory said failure to comply with provisions of the Act while constituting the committees would also attract a penalty. The advisory noted that sexual harassment of women at the workplace violates women’s right to gender equality, life and liberty.
A writ petition (Civil) 1224 of 2017 has been filed before the Supreme Court to ensure implementation of the Act in all States and UTs. The Act provides protection to women at workplaces and redress of complaints.
The committees should comprise a female presiding officer working at a senior level. At least two members should be committed to the cause of women or with experience in social work or with legal knowledge, and one member should be from NGOs working with issues related to women and sexual harassment.
The Committee should be reconstituted every three years. Organisation that do not comply with the rules have to forward a copy of the Constitution of the Internal Complaint Committee within 15 days starting March 24.
The District Magistrates of North Goa and South Goa are appointed as District Officers while Chief Officers of taluks and municipalities are appointed as Nodal Officers.
As per the provisions of Section 4 of the Act, every department/organization/undertaking/industrial establishment, educational institutions/ private sector organization, hospitals, sport institutes, etc., are required to form ICCs.
These ICCs should compose a ‘Presiding Officer’ who will be a woman employed at a senior level at workplace from among the employees; not less than two Members from among employees preferably committed to the cause of women or who have had experience in social work or have legal knowledge and one member from among non-governmental organizations or associations committed to the cause of women or a person familiar with the issues relating to sexual harassment.
The Committee constituted will be in force for a period of three years and subsequently to be re-constituted. As per the provisions of Section 21 (1) of the Act, the ICCs are required to submit Annual reports to the respective District Officer.
As per the provisions of Section 19 of the Act, the employer is required to create awareness programmes at regular intervals, display the gist of the provisions of the Act, etc.
All those establishments which are required to constitute such committees are also requested to ensure the constitution/re-constitution of the ICCs at workplace also comply with the necessary information to their respective District Officers.
Stakeholders who have not complied may forward a copy of the Constitution of Internal Complaint Committee within 15 days from March 24.
