Management & Administration

Women Anti Sexual Harassment Cell

The Internal Committee for Women Anti Sexual Harassment in Janseva Foundation Loni Budruks Arts and Commerce College Shendi is constituted according to ‘The Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’. Along with this Act, the ICC seeks to adhere to the spirit of Vishakha guidelines preceding this legislation in order to address the issue of sexual harassment at workplace for ensuring gender equality. The ICC aims to look into the complaints of sexual harassment in the establishment and also to generate awareness about the issue. The Act has outlined the constitution of the committees, the process to be followed for making a complaint and conducting inquiry into the complaint in a time bound manner.

What is Sexual Harassment?

An act of sexual harassment includes any one or more of the unwelcome acts or behaviour, whether directly or by implication:

• Physical contact and advances; or
• A demand or request for sexual favors; or
• Making sexual colored remarks; or
• Showing pornography; or
• Any unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.

The following circumstances, among other circumstances, if it occur or are present in relation to or connected with any act or behavior of sexual harassment, may also amount to sexual harassment;

• Implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment in her employment; or
• Implied or explicit threat of detrimental treatment in her employment; or
• Implied or explicit threat about her present or future employment status; or
• Interference with her work or creating and intimidating or offensive or hostile work environment for her; or
• Humiliating treatment likely to affect her health or safety.

Functioning of Internal Committee for Women Anti Sexual Harassment
The Internal Complaint Committee is an educational resource as well as a complaint redressal mechanism for the members of faculty, staff and students of the University. Its mandates are:

• To provide a neutral, confidential and supportive environment for members of the campus community who may have been sexually harassed
• To advice complainants of means of resolution as specified by the legislation
• To ensure fair and timely resolution of sexual harassment complaints
• To provide counseling and support services on campus
• To ensure that students, faculty and staff are provided with current and comprehensive materials on sexual harassment
• To promote awareness about sexual harassment through educational initiatives that encourages and fosters a respectful and safe campus environment.

The committee seeks to inform the campus community of their right to a respectful work and learning environment. It believes that if we practice respect, exercise empathy in our interactions with others so that we do not hurt anyone through what we say or do, then we can create a campus that is free of sexual harassment.
The Committee seeks to achieve these goals through:

• Complaint Redressal: As per the act ‘The Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’, appropriate action will be taken once the complaint is filed.
• Dissemination of Information: through production, distribution and circulation of materials, posters and handouts etc.
• Awareness Workshops: for faculty, non-teaching staff and students with an aim to develop nonthreatening and non-intimidating atmosphere of mutual learning.
• Counselling – Confidential counselling service is an important service as the sexual harassment cases are rarely reported and are a sensitive issue. Counselling provides a safe space to speak about the incident and how it has affected the aggrieved woman.

Who can file the Complaint to the Internal Complaint Committee?
Any student, service provider, teaching, non-teaching staff may lodge a complaint against a student, service provider, teaching, non-teaching staff.

Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) have been identified as the two most backward groups of Indian Society. They include all the castes, races or tribes, which have been socially, economically and educationally backward. The cell has been established to support and to bring students from such communities in the main stream. The SC/ST cell of the college was established in 2018 with the purpose to empower the SC/ST students in the college. The college takes special interest in facilitating financial support to students from these communities from government agencies and other sources. They are also encouraged to enroll for career orientation programs, which would equip them with the necessary skills to choose a career option.