Indian government trying hard to make gender equality a reality but there is still a long way to go for the women says NCP city women wing President Nutan Rewatkar
Nagpur News: As per Supreme Court’s ruling, the employer or other responsible people at an establishment or institution having more than 10 members should form a sexual harassment redressal committee to prevent cases of sexual harassment and provide mechanisms for the resolution of complaints. However the ground reality is not so encouraging. Nagpur Today highlighted how the so called big establishments and business houses in city lack the said committee. Coming up to our next step, Nagpur Today reached out to the women serving across various professions and had their views over the issue.
In the second part of our series we brought someone from the political background. We met Nutan Rewatkar who is Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city women wing President to get her views on this issue and at the same time to get the solutions for the problem too. Nutan Rewatkar is an active political leader and an active social worker of Nagpur. She also runs a nonprofit organization called Shree Swami Samarth Bahuddeshiy Sanstha which works for the betterment of poor and helpless girls and women.
Political contacts and money power!
When asked that what can be the reason because of which these big establishments are not forming the sexual harassment redressal committees even after the Hon. Supreme Court orders Rewatkar said that Political contacts and money power influences them to act arbitrary manner. Most of the big establishments have strong political contacts. The owners have nice relations with the political leaders and those who are in power. These so called leaders use their powers and no action is taken against such establishments therefore they do not have fear of any action against them. Power makes them able to break the law without any fear said Rewatkar.
Fake committee and Fake Members!
Nutan Rewatkar further added that even the establishments who have the sexual harassment redressal committees do not solve the problem because most of the companies have their own people in the committees who do not take action which is not in the favor of the company. The company owners have the committee for their own, not for the women employees problems feels Rewatkar hence the women have no way but just to tolerate. Many times the companies create fake committee members list claims Rewatkar. These so called committees also do not have any NGO Member which is again illegal said Rewatkar.
Prestige of company more important than women’s dignity
Most of the cases do not come to fore as the victim was pressurized by the company owener and management to shut her mouth as this will harm the image of the company. Even if the victim go to the committee and lodge a complaint the company people do not entertain the problem of the lady and starts raising questions on her character. According to Rewatkar the management forces her to withdraw the complaint to keep the image of the company clean.
Shut your mouth or lose the job!
In many offices the management directly tells the women complainant that this is her personal matter and she should solve her issues outside the office and if she will not end the matter she will have to leave the job. Most of the women do not raise their voice because the always have the fear of losing their job. Shairing an incident Rewatkar told that a case came to her in which, an employee of Mohpa Education Society lodged a sexual harassment case in front of the sexual harassment redressal committee she was forced to take her complaint back and have been told that either take the complaint back or lose your job. Rewatkar was so disappointed with the case because the director of the education Society was a woman herself but did not understand the pain of another woman.
Women and Child Development Ministry needs to be more active
Rewatkar told Nagpur Today that she have many cases in which the victims gave written complaints to the internal Complaint Committee and also sent her complaint to the ministry of Women and Child Development but did not got enough support and help. According to Rewatkar there are rules for women but they are often not followed and women actually do not get the benefits out of those rules so there is a need of system to become more active to provide justice to women.
Believe in your inner strength
We all are talking about men and women equality and women rights. Government is trying it’s best to bring women equality and respect but it’s still a long way to go says Nutan Rewatkar. 50% reservation is not enough and there is a strong need of women to believe in her inner strengths. She concluded that women have lot of potential, Just need to discover it.
One can contact Nutan Rewatkar for such problems on her mobile number +91- 9370999572
By Puja Singh
