Una, December 24- As per the directions of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), a workshop on legal awareness was organized by District Legal Services Authority at DRDA Hall Una on Tuesday for women officers and employees of Una Block on Sexual Harassment of Women (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013). During this, Secretary and Additional Chief Magistrate of District Legal Services Authority, Una, Anita Sharma, VP Himotkarsh and President Local Complaints Committee Deepshikha and District Program Officer Una and Member, Local Complaints Committee Narendra Kumar participated in the workshop as resource persons.
Secretary of District Legal Services Authority Anita Sharma shared information about the common types of harassment to the women officers and employees present in the workshop like quid pro quo harassment, hostile work environment, verbal harassment like inappropriate comments and physical harassment like unwanted physical contact or gestures and finally non-verbal harassment. She also guided about the various effects on the victim like emotional, psychological and physical and its impact on the organization. She said that steps should be taken to promote a safe workplace like encouraging individuals to speak up and support colleagues, promoting a culture of respect and equality and promoting a zero-tolerance policy against violators.
He said that regular training sessions should be held for employees to teach them how to identify, prevent and address sexual harassment. Special training sessions should also be held for managers and members of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to inform them about their roles and responsibilities.
Anita Sharma stressed the importance of widely publicising the helpline number (15100) to ensure immediate access to legal advice and services.