Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat For Protection Against Harassment At Workplace

The government is committed to create a safe working environment for women, which is free of harassment, abuse and intimidation with a view toward fulfillment of their right to work with dignity. In this endeavor an Act of Parliament to make provisions for the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace has been promulgated in March 2010. This Act builds on the principles of equal opportunity for men and women and their right to earn a livelihood without fear of discrimination as stipulated in the Constitution. This Act also complies with the Government’s commitment to high international labour standards and empowerment of women. It also adheres to the Human Rights Declaration, the United Nation’s Convention for Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women and ILO’s convention 100 and 111 on workers’ rights. It adheres to the principles of Islam and all other religions in our country which assure women’s dignity. Provisions made in the Protection against harassment of women at the workplace Act requires all public and private organizations to adopt an internal Code of Conduct and a complain and appeals mechanism aimed at establishing a safe working environment for working women. It shall be the responsibility of the employer to ensure implementation of this Act, including but not limited to incorporate the Code of Conduct as a part of their management policy. The management shall display copies of Code of Conduct at the conspicuous place in the organization and the workplace. On failure of an employer to comply with this provision the employer shall be liable to fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees but shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees.