GUARDING FEMALE EMPLOYEES AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORKPLACE

Traditionally, the man was responsible for hunting and performing duties outside the four walls while the woman was responsible for overseeing affairs within the four walls. But with increasing formal education for females, the female workforce too increased creating parity between genders in the working class. The increased participation of females in offices, factories, and mines also created a need for a separate mechanism for speedy redressal of abuse of sexual nature at the workplace. Sexual harassment leads to frequent dropouts by females and affects the productivity of female employees. The lawmakers in the interest of economic growth devised enactment to provide a safe work environment for females in both organized and unorganized sectors. The framers of the Constitution provided for safeguarding for females in all walks of life. Additionally, the Indian Penal Code along with Criminal Amendment Act 2013, expanded the definition of sexual harassment and made it a criminal offence.