A few days ago, seething with rage, I put up the
below status on facebook.
"Sexual harassment at workplace. Heard of it.
Read about it. Television, newspapers. But never had I thought that I would
learn about it from someone so close. A reputed company. She was told it was
employee friendly. Seemed like it. Good work culture. Friendly colleagues.
Satisfied with her job. Until recently. When he joined as her boss.
45 year old. Young. Dynamic they called him. Until
recently. When he started showing his true colours. An appreciative pat on the
back that lingered on the back for more time than necessary. Calling under the
pretext of silly excuses like showing him how to mail. Really? How to mail? At
such a senior position? Then came the leering. Checking out. Eyes hovering all
over the body making you feel disgusted.
But she thought it was only her perception. We
women, sometimes even ignoring what is so blatant in our face.
What-if-nobody-believes-me fear. "Let me just avoid him. I will avoid
going near him' - she reasoned to herself. And then it took no time for his
hands to reach inappropriate places. The disgusting smile on his face. 'You
should keep your boss happy' - the intention behind this comment I need not
elaborate.
She talked around. She was not the only one. Four
of them had faced the same. Amusing. Educated women. Independent. Yet kept
quiet about this. Well, are they to be blamed ? Finally, they gathered courage to speak to the
management. And what does the so-called management do? Ask him point blank if
he did all that. Hah!! Who are you fooling? Which goddamn criminal agrees to
his crime?
His masterstroke - 'They are like my DAUGHTERS.
Wow. Like wow. Where are we safe if you have fathers like these? Weren't these
same words said by that man who was recently captured on camera in the
aircraft? Similar words. 'Like my daughter.' The words echo in my ears.
He was let off with just a warning. Just a warning
for a complaint about harassment by not one, but four women. All four of them
have been told to avoid being with him in his cabin. Use common meeting room,
they have been asked. Another wow. Reputed private firm. Employee friendly they
claim themselves to be. Well, I don't know if safety of women is a part of
employee friendliness for them.
While he continues the backhanded comments. He is
their boss. Their appraisal in his hands. Two of them planning to leave the
job. Strange. Yet true. They are planning to file a written complaint against
him to the management. In the hope. That they will be heard this time."
When I put up this status, a lot of friends and acquaintances
of facebook messaged me about the incident wanting to know which company was it
and what exactly happened. This incident happened with somebody I know very
closely and hearing it from her was more than just shocking. I was angry. I
sought her permission to put up a status on facebook without her name and any
detail. She agreed. A lot of friends asked me to keep them updated on the
matter. I closely followed the matter. We tried finding out the laws and
I wrote the complaint for them which they submitted in their company.
Initially, the management tried to hush the whole
issue. When there was no action taken against the person in a week's time, all the
four women resigned. As per the rules, they had to serve a month's notice
period which they agreed to serve. And while serving their notice period, they
continued their campaign in the company against the culprit and started
gathering support. The culprit was now the centre of attraction (ofcourse in a
wrong way) in the company. He tried to reason it out to all the women involved
saying that his intentions were not wrong and other such blah blah pleading
them to take back their resignations or else it would affect his career and
that he had people dependent on him and he needed the job etc etc. These women
stood firm and were just waiting for their notice period to end, dejected at
the way a professional firm had handled such a grave issue.
But then, as they say, sometimes the glitter of
hope shines through the thickest of times. While the one month notice period is
not over yet, the news is that the culprit has been sacked from the company.
Just when our country is lost in a yet another controversy
of 'India's Daughter', when every other day you hear about some or the other
case of women abuse, when situation is such that seeing their daughter home
safe every evening is a big relief for every parent, when dejection and anger
about the current state of women in the country is reaching a yet another peak,
this news of the abuser being sacked from his job comes across as a small
victory in this fight against women abuse. Somewhere, it makes you realize that
if we all learn to stand up against it, if we can gather enough strength to
raise our voices, then may be, may be, this country can become a better place to
live. The battle is still on and it’s a long way to go still but small
victories like this are a flicker of hope that can give strength to carry on
the fight. It makes me optimistic and a small voice inside me
rejoices this small victory.
This is my official post inspired by Housing.com - Look Up.
