The National Implementation Watch Committee (NIWC) on Tuesday decided to undertake ‘random monitoring visits’ to different educational institutions, private sector organisations, government organisations, civil society organisations and international non-governmental organisations to ensure the implementation of anti-sexual harassment legislation. The NIWC members through monitoring visits will check whether the posters of the Code of Conduct have been displayed or not, whether the employees are aware that their organisation has complied with the legislation or not, and whether their employees know who the Inquiry Committee members are or not. The information gathered from the database and the information compiled after these monitoring visits will help the NIWC consolidate its report which will be presented to the prime minister.
In the meeting, the Committee showed concern over frequent cases of sexual harassment in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). They were also surprised that the decision of the ombudsperson in the latest appeal case of PIA was not complied with the authorities. The meeting was chaired by Dr Fouzia Saeed and was seventh meeting of the body. The Committee was formed by the prime minister to facilitate and monitor compliance with the anti-sexual harassment legislation i.e. Protection against Harassment of Women Act, 2010 and the amendment to section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The Committee, comprising of representatives from civil society, private sector, government and media organisations, meets every three or four months to determine the status of the implementation of these laws.
During the meeting the members also assessed the progress made by them in implementing these laws. The provincial representatives shared the progress they had made in the provinces, highlighting the number of sessions they had conducted, their progress in the setting up of Provincial Implementation Watch Committees and appointment of provincial ombudspersons. The Committee in the meeting decided that it needed to continue its facilitating role but now needed to engage intensively to monitor compliance with the laws.
Their database website, launched in July this year after the sixth NIWC meeting, was discussed and all the members shared their input in spreading awareness about the database and what more could be done to monitor compliance. It was agreed during the meeting that every organization, whose compliance with the laws the Committee members facilitated, would have its information fed into the database.
The provincial representatives, who have undertaken the task of implementing these laws on the provincial level, include Women Development Department Balochistan Additional Secretary Salma Qureshi, Social Welfare and Women Development Department Punjab Director Sajjad Haider Sipra; Women Development Department Sindh Deputy Secretary Mussarat Jabeen and Provincial Commission on the Status of Women Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chairperson Zubaida Khatoon. The meeting concluded with all the members pledging their full support to the cause of eradicating sexual harassment by implementing the promulgated legislation in letter and spirit.
NIWC to monitor implementation of anti-harassment legislation
