The Women and Child Development Department of Haryana has designated Karminder Kaur, who currently serves as Protection Officer and Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, as the District Nodal Officer for Rohtak. Her primary responsibility is to oversee the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Key Provisions of the Act
Under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, every department is required to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). Additionally, a local committee must be established at the district level. Karminder Kaur explained that the Act applies to all women employees, regardless of their employment status—whether permanent, contractual, temporary, trainees, volunteers, or domestic workers.
Complaint Mechanism for Small Workplaces
For workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, any woman who experiences sexual harassment can submit her complaint directly to the District Local Committee. This committee is empowered to take appropriate action on such complaints, ensuring that even employees in small organizations have access to justice.
Awareness Campaigns Planned
To promote awareness of the Act and prevent workplace sexual harassment, extensive awareness programmes will be conducted at the district, block, and village levels. These campaigns aim to educate women about their legal rights and the process of filing complaints. Karminder Kaur emphasized that government departments, private organizations, and educational institutions will be informed about the provisions of the Act, the complaint mechanism, and the rights available to women employees.
According to Karminder Kaur, these initiatives are designed to ensure that every woman knows how to report harassment and what protections she is entitled to under the law. The nodal officer will coordinate these efforts across Rohtak district.
