Members of a civil society organisation have urged the managements of the public and private departments to be proactive in creating an environment conducive to work and supporting complainants of sexual harassment without any bias or prejudice.
Talking to APP, executive director, Women’s Organisation for Rights and Development (WORD), Aqsa Khan, said the law clearly lays down the basic principals of implementation but the managements should play their vital role for making workplaces’ environment free of sexual harassment. She said awareness sessions are being arranged across the country on the regular basis, to give a detailed orientation of the anti-sexual harassment laws, highlighting the implementation mechanism, role of management and enquiry committee in dealing with cases of sexual harassment. Aqsa said sexual harassment is not just in the public sector but it is a universal problem which will be given full attention and should be enforced through awareness sessions, adding, they hope to translate behavior change of women and men in dealing with the issue. It is through anti-sexual harassment law that for the first time the issue is considered as a criminal offence. Previously, it was considered as a social evil which was justified by blaming women for causing it. No law specifically covered sexual harassment at the workplaces.
The issue was brought to national attention through a campaign by Alliance Against Sexual Harassment At workplace (AASHA) over the past 10 years. The Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 gave the management of every organization the opportunity to deal with sexual harassment by establishing a regulatory mechanism to deal with complaints internally.Women rights activist, Fauzia Saeed said the women development departments must comply with the law following all its steps including formation of inquiry committees and others. She said education, health, banks and attached departments have adopted the code of conduct and making efforts to ensure conducive environment at all public and private sectors. These efforts must continue until the society is made free of harassment, she said. Fauzia said the legal aid centres at Islamabad, Hyderabad,
Karachi, Multan and Peshawar are also raising awareness about sexual harassment law and people can register their complaints in these centres.
World Dance Day tomorrow: Performing artistes and dance lovers will celebrate the World Dance Day on April 29 across the globe including Pakistan with the aim of highlighting the expressive art form.
Practitioners of this art form celebrate the day individually as well as in groups to recognize the joy of movement and unique art of dancing. The day was introduced in 1982 by the UNESCO International Dance Committee with the aim of bringing all dancers together to celebrate the art form and revel in its universality, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together in peace and friendship with a common language of Dance.
“Dance is a unique expression of joy with a historical significance in our festivities and ceremonies. It is considered as an important segment in our theatrical programmes, cultural shows and performing art events,” said Shehryar Hasan, a popular dance performer in theaters of federal capital. Music and dance is part of our life with deep-rooted cultural values, Sufi music were considered as spiritual practice while regional and traditional dances have become the identity of various areas in Pakistan, he said. Dance is a type of art that generally refers to movement of body in a rhythm of music. It is performed in many different cultures and used as a form of expression and social interaction.
Practitioners of this art consider it as a form of nonverbal communication between humans. According to historical references, dance has been an important part of ceremonies, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Images of dancing figures revealed its presence in various cultures through talking rocks discovered by archaeologists. Dancing in performing arts is considered as a perfect exercise for relieving stress as the practice is beautiful, expressive and energizing way to regenerate the heart and soul, said an official of Performing Arts Department at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). Feeling the music, stretching arms and moving body has the benefits like reducing stress, increasing energy, improving strength, increasing muscle tone and coordination with aerobic activity.
‘Workplaces must be made conducive for work’
