Towards Safer Workplaces: Policies and Measures to Prevent Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment at work is still a big problem in today’s workplaces, even though there have been many changes in the law, institutions, and society over the years. Modern factors like more women working, new technologies, and globalization have made the problem more complicated. Harassment at work now happens not only in physical offices but also more and more on virtual platforms like social media, digital communication, and remote work systems. This makes it harder to find and regulate. International treaties, like those set up by the International Labour Organization, and national laws, like India’s Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act 2013, are both part of the growing body of law. However, effective enforcement is made harder by strong cultural stereotypes, fear of retaliation, poor compliance with rules, and not reporting enough. The #MeToo movement was one of the most well-known events that brought attention to the widespread sexual misconduct that happens in all fields. It showed how important it is to create safe, welcoming, and gender-sensitive workplaces. This chapter emphasizes a significant analysis of the Act, scrutinizing the deficiencies in current legislation and offering
recommendations for their rectification.