Prevention of harassment makes for safe work environments

There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. – Kofi Annan

Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights. –  Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

Despite equality under the Constitution, women in India are disproportionately under-represented in ownership of property (10%). According to a 2018 World Bank report, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) among females in India was 27% in 2018 (the world average stood at 48%). The rate for women has been falling since 2005 when it was at a high of 37% percent. The gender pay gap in India refers to the difference in earnings between women and men in the paid employment and labor market. The gender pay gap in India is estimated to be about 25%.

Why is this so? One of the major reasons reported in several studies is harassment of women at the workplace and during transit to work and back. As a result, women not only often drop out of work on their own, but keep silent about harassment for fear of family pressure to do so to be ‘safe’. This compromises their financial independence and the added stress also impacts their productivity.

No organisation can afford to reduce its pool of talent by ignoring this preventable problem. Successful organisations need a gender-diverse workforce. An extensive 19-year study of 215 Fortune 500 firms, reported in the Harvard Business Review in 2001, showed that the 25 Fortune 500 firms with the best record of promoting women to high positions were 18-69% more profitable than the median Fortune 500 firms in their industries.

Workplace harassment is the biggest impediment to women’s professional growth. Yet, HR is often flummoxed as to how to provide women a level playing field, because approaching this subject directly is often taboo for discussion and makes people uncomfortable. 

While it is important to follow a zero-tolerance policy for harassment at the workplace to create safe working spaces for women, it is not possible only through rules and penalties. Even the law on the subject recognises that prevention is more important than prohibition and redressal.

Be.artsy has found that there is pervasive ignorance about the subject. As many as 65% of women and 90% of men cannot correctly identify what constitutes sexual harassment. It is the duty and to the benefit of employers to ensure that their employees are conscious of what constitutes harassment and the punitive consequences thereof. Oftentimes, companies spend lakhs fighting legal battles that could have been easily avoided by way of introducing and conducting awareness and sensitisation programs.

Be.artsy’s POSH (prevention of sexual harassment) programs for the workplace have already covered 25,000 men and women at 12 large organisations through 84 sessions in nine local languages all over India, including office staff, top management, and blue-collar workers. The programs have been rated 3.9 on a scale of 1 to 5 and have resulted in a 70% improvement in awareness in just one session. Some participant comments are:

• “This was the first time we looked at the issue from the perspective of prevention. We have often been told about the redressal methods, but this was something new for us. Also, the training in the form of a Kannada street play made it meaningful and easy to understand. It was so interesting that) I am now able to retain so much more of the training.” - Tata Coffee blue-collar worker, Karnataka

• “After this online training, I wish Team Be.artsy could come with the full-blown nukkad natak based training for Volvo cars and I would request my HR to bring the 2 full-day program to Volvo campus” - Volvo Cars white-collar worker, Haryana (online program)

• “Legal training gave an insight into the basics required to start an IC inquiry. I also agree with bias training. Shikha has spent a lot of time presenting it to us with an expressive and energetic explanation. She has used her skill and practical ways through street play to educate us. Big thanks to our CMD and Team Be.artsy.” - Air India Internal Complaints Committee member, Delhi 

However, merely addressing the issue of harassment is not all that is necessary. Gender sensitisation, a sub-part of Diversity and Inclusion, is crucial to getting the best out of everyone. I’ll cover that in my next post.