SC judge N Kotiswar Singh launches Delhi HC’s dedicated portal for sexual harassment of women complaints
Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Chairperson of the ICC and Justices Amit Bansal, Neena Bansal Krishna, Tara Vitasta Ganju and Shalinder Kaur and N Hariharan, senior advocate and president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association were also present during the launch of the portal.
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice N Kotiswar Singh on Thursday (July 3) launched a dedicated portal of the Delhi High Court for complaints of sexual harassment of women at workplace, which will enable women to report sexual harassment from the comforts of their homes.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya, Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Chairperson of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and Justices Amit Bansal, Neena Bansal Krishna, Tara Vitasta Ganju and Shalinder Kaur and N Hariharan, senior advocate and president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association were also present during the launch of the portal.
Justice N Kotiswar Singh, while speaking on the occasion, called it "small but pivotal milestone” towards safeguarding women at workplace and said a work place should be a place for opportunities and not a place creating fear and any such acts creating such negative atmospheres should be forbidden.
"A work place should be a place for opportunities and not a place creating fear. Any such acts creating such negative atmospheres should be forbidden. Sexual harassment demeans women and causes mental trauma. This menace had to be taken head on,” Justice Kotiswar Singh said.
"Today, large number of women are participating in national building exercise playing all roles and there is a paradigm shift taking with this enormous contribution by women. So, it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that the workplace remains safe, secure and encouraging and not plagued by these fears. Sexual harassment is a result of misogynistic, patriarchal and feudal ideas which is antithetical to our constitution,” Justice Kotiswar Singh added.
Justice Kotiswar Singh further said that Delhi represents mini-India and if this movement is strengthened in the national capital, it will trickle down all over.
"There is a responsibility on us all to ensure that the redressal mechanism should be put in place and made effective. There is a need to sensitise the people that there are certain acts that are prohibited and cannot be tolerated. There is a continuous attempt to sensitise irrespective of community, history, tradition or societal value. Only constitutional value is acceptable and can provide equal platform for all,” Justice Kotiswar Singh further said.