The Narendra Modi government is considering setting up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to brainstorm on ways to deal with sexual harassment at workplace, say sources.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and women Ministers would be members of this GoM.
Sources also say that a panel of judges and legal persons announced by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi to look at ways to strengthen the legal and institutional framework was being examined by the Ministry of Law but it may not be a legally sound instrument.
Strengthening laws
“The GoM, therefore, will go into strengthening the existing laws so that justice can be availed without having to bring the matter to court all the time,” said a senior Minister.
Both Ms. Gandhi and Textile Minister Smriti Irani have been the two voices within the government that have batted for survivors of sexual harassment at workplace.
“The Prime Minister has always given top priority to the rights of women. The first programme that he launched was ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’. We don’t save our daughters to allow big shots to insult them later in life,” Ms. Gandhi had told PTI in an interview.
