Stressing the importance of gender sensitisation, Madras High Court Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi said that there was a need to change the patriarchal mindset in the society. It cannot be said that we have fully overcome such mindset, he said here on Saturday.
He inaugurated a two-day training programme on ‘Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women at workplace’ organised by the Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee of the High Court Bench at the Judicial Academy.
Despite improvement in status of women who have made great strides in various sectors, people gathered to discuss sensitisation and it showed that the issue needed to be addressed and awareness created, he said.
Expressing satisfaction over the fact that judges, advocates and the police had come together to discuss various topics on sensitisation, he said the programme would bring out new ideas and help people to deal with the issue. Two other areas that also needed discussion were plight of transgenders and sensitisation to defence lawyers in cross examination of victims. Programmes on these two topics need to be organised, he said.
Madras High Court Judge J. Nisha Banu and Chairperson of GSICC-II said women had taken up the fight for equality and one needs to walk through history to understand the struggle for liberation. She said that there would be more discussions on gender sensitisation.
Former Madras High Court Judge S. Vimala discussed the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and important judgements on the subject in the first session.
Madras High Court Judges, Inspector General of Police (South Zone) K.P. Shanmuga Rajeswaran, members and volunteers of GSICC, advocates, police, judicial officers, CISF personnel and court staff were present at the event.
