#MeToo: Publishing houses to form probe committee for sexual harassment complaints
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been directed by the National Commission for Women to direct print, publication and production houses for the formation of an internal committee to probe sexual harassment complaints at workplace.
In the past few days the women rights body has received a number of complaints of sexual harassment at workplace, an NCW official said, adding the complaints were against persons in both traditional print organisations as well as digital media.
"We have informed the Secretary of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that the NCW has received a number of such complaints," the official said.
The NCW has requested Secretary to issue directions to ensure that organisations such as printing/publishing, production houses involved in TV/film production put in place an effective mechanism for addressing such complaints including constituting Internal Committees in terms of the PoSH Act, 2013, he said.
The NCW said perpetrators of such crimes need to be punished as per law.
Written complaints were received by the NCW recently from various women about sexual harassment at their workplace.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has asked the National Commission for Women to expeditiously probe all complaints of sexual harassment received under the #MeToo movement.
Through the movement, a number of journalists in the last few weeks have revealed details of harassment at their workplace.
Journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar on Wednesday resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct against him by his former woman colleagues.
