Sexual harassment not new to women workforce in city

 

Bangalore: The Tarun Tejpal incident has had the salutary effect of focusing attention on sexual harassment in the workplace, and it turns out that this misdemeanour is fairly widespread though usually kept under wraps. 

 

An ongoing random survey conducted by students of Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies (RIMS) across various companies in the city revealed that a majority of women did not feel safe in their workplace.

 

Sixty-two per cent of respondents in the survey complained that they had been subjected to lewd comments, or vulgar jokes or comments by their male colleagues and seniors. Over 34 per cent complained that they suffered character assassination and about 71per cent complained that turning down an invitation for lunch/dinner with bosses made them the target of the boss’s anger. 

 

Women refrain from filing an official complaint because they fear their reputation will be tarnished and their family members will be harassed, the survey found. 

 

Relating her own experience at a seminar on sexual harassment at the workplace at RIMS on Thursday, actress Sherin Shringar said: “Many a times I have been harassed by my seniors as well as producers. I have dealt with them personally and did not file an official complaint for fear that the media would hype the issue and that this would go on and on and my family will also be dragged into it, which I do not want.”

 

It isn’t just the film world. Sexual harassment in various forms prevails in other professions too. Said Supreme Court lawyer Jyothi Bhat: “It happens even in our profession. I too have been harassed by my seniors and they have also gone to the extent of saying that they are willing to come home and spend time with my mother.”