Plea filed to extend Vishakha guidelines to religious places

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has been moved seeking extension of ‘Vishakha guidelines’ relating to sexual harassment of women in work places, to religious institutions, including ‘ashrams’, ‘madrasas’ and Catholic institutions, to check the rampant rise in sexual exploitation of women.

Social activist Mahesh Pathak in his PIL submitted that Supreme Court in August 1997, in the Vishakha case, laid down 12 guidelines to be followed by employers to prevent or deter acts of sexual harassments against women. He said time has come to extend these guidelines to religious places also as they constitute part of workplace as many women are employed there, other than those working on a voluntarily basis.

The petition sought collection of data of such religious institutions where women practice and profess religion, for taking effective steps on the basis of the guidelines to provide assistance to the victims of sexual assaults.

“If the Vishakha Guidelines are extended to these religious institutions, it would assist a lot in reducing sexually related crimes against women at religious places by various religious gurus or leaders of that particular institution,” the petition said.

It also sought the Centre to direct the authorities concerned of the particular area, where such religious institutions are situated, to do the background verification religious leaders, especially “new upcoming Babas” or “heads of those madarsas” and churches.

It also sought directions to the Centre to provide adequate measures for women safety at religious places.

The petitioner said that due to rampant rise of sexual exploitation of the women at the religious institutions like ashrams, madarsas or catholic institutions, it is imperative that the guidelines are made applicable to such places also. He cited the recent issue of the State of Kerela priest involved in sexual harassment case.