Zero tolerance towards sexual harassment at workplace will enable women contribute to full potential: RS Secretary-General

(UNI) Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Desh Deepak Verma said on Thursday a shift in the ‘mindset’ towards ‘zero tolerance’ towards sexual harassment is required to enable women contribute to their full potential at work place.
Inaugurating a sensitisation workshop here on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, he said that sexual harassment of women at workplace violates the right to equality, life, liberty and dignity of living of women as envisaged under the Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties in the Constitution of India.
While the Act provides a broad framework for prevention of such harassment through preventive and punitive actions, a change in the `mindset’ was required, he said.
In a first of it’s kind since the Act came into fore, the Rajya Sabha organised a two- day sensitisation workshop beginning Thursday on various aspects of the issue and the provisions of the Act.
Quoting official statistics, Mr Verma noted that based on the complaints received in the National Commission for Women, the cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace increased from 371 cases in