Coronavirus India: as online sex harassment against working women rises, some demand action
- Indian women are calling for clarity of laws regarding harassment and for employers to take stricter measures to safeguard their rights
- The appeal comes amid a startling rise in sex harassment complaints during the coronavirus pandemic, as more women work from home
The tack backfired, however, as her manager then started complaining about her “poor performance”, telling her she could be sacked. She contacted her company’s downsized human resources team in Mumbai but had second thoughts about escalating the issue. “I was deeply distressed, shocked and helpless,” said Kumar, who asked not to be identified by her real name.
But a recent meeting with New Delhi-based lawyer Devikaa Singh proved to be an eye-opener for Kumar on what constitutes harassment.
Singh said that after seeing the phone and WhatsApp messages Kumar’s boss had sent to her, “I pointed out the red flags – like when he asked her why is she not married and if she has a boyfriend. He had asked her what kind of dresses she likes. In one chat he had spoken about his extramarital affairs.” Singh said she advised Kumar to document all the evidence and file a written complaint with her company. She is yet to receive a response.
“Sexual harassment will not disappear simply because we are no longer interacting in a physical workplace,” said Singh, co-founder of Cohere Consultants, a diversity and inclusion practice firm that employs lawyers, HR managers, social workers and counsellors. “It finds new ways to manifest. Unless there is enough emphasis on sensitisation in the work from home model, legal policies are not likely to be successful.”