Gender sensitivity at work place

 Institution shows gender sensitivity in providing facilities such as:

·         Safety and Security at the work place

·         Grievance redressal for sexual harassment at work place

·         Day care centre (Creche)

·         Provision for redressal for sexual harassment at work place

·         Any other

 Write description in maximum of 500 words

Response:

 

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) is committed towards the promotion and practice of the ideals of safety, security, social and natural justice, human dignity and rights of all human beings. Therefore, it realizes the significance and the need for having a Gender Amity and Anti Sexual Harassment mechanism. To ensure implementation of policy to address Sexual Harassment and to provide redressal through a fair mechanism, the University has constituted two committees

1. Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CPSHW)

2. Internal Complaint Committee (ICC)

in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015. Whose foremost role and responsibility is to create an atmosphere free from any form of sexual discrimination and sexual harassment, prevention, prohibition, social security, and counseling etc.

 §   Safety and Security at the work place:

The University takes all possible measures for physical and social safety and security of both the women employees and learners within the campus. As one of the primary safety mechanism for women students, faculties and employees, CCTV Surveillance system are installed at all the buildings and departments of the University.

 Apart from the CCTV, Security guards are posted for 24-hours on duty at all departments and all avenues of the University campus, including the residential complex. The University has implemented Token system for the outsiders. The visitors need to make an entry at the gate and a Token is given to him/her which has to be returned at the gate while making an exit from the University. The Whole Campus including the Residential Complex is well lit at night. The security guards keep a vigil in whole of the area. The entry of the outsiders in the campus is restricted in the night.

 §   Grievance redressal for sexual harassment at work place

The Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CPSHW) takes care of the social security not only for the persons associated with BAOU main campus but also takes care of the students, employee working at Regional Centres and Learner Support Centres.  

 

§   Provision for redressal for sexual harassment at work place

The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is in place and an employee can contact the Chairperson, ICC, BAOU either through a dedicated mail and/or phone number. The following e-mail ID and Phone numbers are displayed at prominent places of campus of the university. (E-mail: icc@baou.edu.in; Ph. - +917929796200)

 The installation of complaint/suggestion box in the campus has been carried out by the ICC of the University authorities to indicate that harassment against women learners, faculties and employees are to be taken care of with utter seriousness thereby ensuring gender equality within the campus.

 §  Counselling

Though University has policy to do the counseling in various levels including Mentor-Mentee system, engaging professional counselor etc. It takes pro-active role in creating social, physical and psychological environment and awareness. Counseling is provided to encourage the students for early reporting of any experience regarding sexual harassment or gender conflict. Also encourage them to create a healthy environment in and around the campus. Awareness and counseling has been generated to ensure that complaints will be dealt with in a sensitive, equitable, fair, timely and confidential manner.

 BAOU organizes gender sensitization programme at regular intervals through which the participants are educated and made aware about the legal contraption. Experts from domain specific areas are invited to share their ideas and experiences with the participants over different issues of sexual harassment at workplace and offered valuable suggestions as preventive measures to combat such situation.

 To uphold Women’s Right to protection against Sexual Harassment and the Right to Livelihood and also to create healthy and secure environment, Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (CPSHW) in association with Women Development Cell (WDC) had organized the following seminar/workshop.

§   Under the auspices of University’s Women’s Development Cell, a programme was held at University to spread awareness of the initiatives undertaken by the Ahmedabad City Police to protect and help women. “She Team” is a women empowering initiative, a project by Ahmedabad City Police to help women in need; through an online application “181 Abhayam Women’s Helpline”.

§   University's Women's Development Cell held a talk on 'Indian Constitution and Women Empowerment' on 6th March 2020. In the graceful presence of Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ami Upadhyay; Dr. Bhavna Joshipura, Advocate and Social Worker, Rajkot, sensitized women members of University regarding women's constitutional and legal rights and multi-dimensional approach for women's empowerment.

§   University also organized "Legal Awareness Camp" with the Gujarat Women's Commission of the Government for women.

§   On 27th August 2020, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University organized a Webinar on “Gender Bias and Women’s Empowerment: Issues and Solutions” in association with Stree Chetana (affiliated to Bharatiya Stree Shakti). Eminent Speakers, All India Organizing Secretary, Bharatiya Stree Shakti, Dr. Maneesha Kothekar; Hon’ble Chairperson, National Commission for Women, Delhi, Smt. Rekha Sharma emphasized on the need of fundamental rights of women, such as ‘right to birth’, ‘right to decide’; which the patriarchal conditioning has denied.

 §  Common Room / Day care centre (Crèche)

 To keep the privacy as well as to eliminate unwanted incidents, University maintains separate common room for boys and girls. Apart from these every Department of the University has separate common room for Faculty members.

 BAOU recognizes that child care is not just the responsibility of women and families but also of university in the public sphere like the University where workers/students, especially women who are also parents are constrained by the simultaneous responsibilities of childcare and work. Hence the University has provided for the Day Care Centre on the campus with nominal fees so that all the staff can access its services.

File Description	Document
Specific facilities provided for women as listed above	View Document
Notification of Committee of prevention of sexual harassment at workplace	View Document
Minutes of the meeting of the committee	View Document
Any additional information	View Document