Initiatives by Global bodies

Unity in Diversity: Global Perspectives on Empowering Women Against Harassment

The Legal Swan (Brands: POSH at Work and Respekt) organized Anvay, a two-day global dialogue that aimed to shed light on the taboo topics of harassment and discrimination. This dialogue also marked the 10th year anniversary of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. One of the key panel discussions at Anvay focused on the topic “Harassment & Discrimination: Initiatives by Global Bodies.” 

This panel, moderated by Nohid Nooreyezdan, Senior Partner at AZB & Partners, aimed to examine the distinct challenges women encounter globally regarding harassment, discrimination, and bullying. 

The panel featured notable speakers including: 

  • Kate Jenkins AO, Chair, Creative Workplaces Council, Former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission 
  • Kiranmayi Addu, Scientist-B, UNICEF, ICMR-NIN 
  • Priyanka Chirimar, Founder at AAPC & Co-Founder at Nanshe 
  • Tanya Wood, Director, CHS Alliance 

The panel speakers shared valuable insights on how global organizations are addressing harassment. They discussed various initiatives aimed at combating sexual and gender-based harassment, highlighting the importance of comprehensive strategies that include policy changes, education, and cultural shifts. 

UNICEF Initiatives: 

  • Zero-tolerance policy for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and Sexual Harassment (SH). 
  • Timely assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, including safety measures, medical care, educational support and legal assistance for children born from sexual exploitation. 
  • Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) program. 
  • Educational initiatives to promote gender equality and prevent discrimination. 
  • Efforts to discourage child marriage and combat female genital mutilation. 

United Nations (UN) Initiatives: 

  • Updated policies to provide better protection for all personnel, including interns and consultants. 
  • Introduction of the “affected individual” category (referring to bystander) in policies, recognizing the impact on those who witness misconduct. 
  • Inter-agency collaboration to share best practices and standardize approaches. 
  • Public accountability through a system-wide tracker for reported cases of SEA. 

Australian Initiatives: 

  • Respect@Work inquiry, resulting in 55 recommendations for addressing workplace harassment. 
  • Establishment of a safety commissioner to address online safety and cyberbullying. 
  • Development of a national survey on sexual harassment that has become a template for other organizations. 

Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Initiatives:  

  • Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) is woven throughout the Nine Commitments of the CHS. 
  • One of the nine commitments (Commitment 5) states that communities and people affected by crisis have access to safe and responsive mechanisms to handle complaints, which would include complaints related to sexual harassment and abuse. 
  • The CHS promotes an organizational culture of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, built through accountability, prevention, and gender equality. 
  • It provides a framework for organizations to measure and improve the quality and effectiveness of their assistance, including their efforts to prevent sexual misconduct. 

Global Movements and Trends: 

  • The #MeToo movement, catalyzing more serious consideration of sexual harassment issues globally. 
  • Shift towards defining unacceptable conduct objectively, moving away from subjective interpretations of “unwelcomeness”. 
  • Increased awareness and reporting mechanisms for sexual harassment cases. 
  • Growing recognition of sexual harassment as a systemic issue rather than just individual misconduct. 
  • Trend towards gender-neutral policies in addressing sexual harassment. 

By bringing together diverse perspectives and focusing on practical strategies, Anvay’s panel discussion contributed to the ongoing global dialogue on combating harassment and discrimination, with a particular emphasis on empowering women and creating inclusive environments.  

While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. This discussion serves as a reminder of the universal nature of these challenges and the importance of continued global collaboration in creating safer, more equitable environments for all. 

Authored by Gomathi Sridevi Radhakrishnan, Content Writer Intern, The Legal Swan.

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