#MeToo: A movement to reckon with - armed with the power of social media!

Visualize - You walk into a coffee shop or an office for an official discussion. Soon the conversation navigates towards personal innuendos and dressing, and more. What do you do in that situation? Continue as if nothing has happened, ignore or rise to the occasion. The choice is yours!

I say this with absolute conviction that "the choice is yours" because in my career spanning almost three decades, I have seen the power of women, their ability to claim their "share of voice" and, more importantly, "pursue things to closure".

The alarming global state of affairs: Statistics reveal that women are subjected to sexual harassment at work across demographics.??The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, states "an estimated 83 million to 102 million women (45% to 55% of women) in the EU - 28 have experienced sexual harassment since the age of 15."?The U.S. claims that the figure is 33.6 million.??American Freight Management Company agreed to pay $5 million to settle claims of nationwide sex discrimination brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.?India Inc reports a 14% rise in sexual harassment complaints in FY19 however, and I am sure the reality of those numbers was much larger.?

Mirror mirror on the wall - how did it start at all? It all started with the #metoo movement when people witnessed the power of women combined with the reach and impact of social media. Actress Alyssa Milano magnified Burke’s rallying cry, turning it into the popular #MeToo movement which continues to trend on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. This was in response to several women in Hollywood opening up about their own experiences. The online platform(s) allowed women to voice their concerns and unite over their experiences with sexual assault. As a result, everyone witnessed and realized the extent of the problem across communities, workplaces, ages, and sexual orientation. In India, the #metoo movement began gaining prominence with the increasing popularity of the international movement and later gathered strong momentum in October 2018 in the entertainment industry of Bollywood and engulfed other workplaces too.

How do the country's laws protect? The #metoo movement is primarily concerned with two types of behaviour: sexual harassment and sexual assault - generally understood as referring to specific inappropriate and unwanted sexual behaviours. Having said that, each country is bound by its laws, but some of them need to be re-looked and revised primarily based on the era they were drafted.??

Glimpses of some of the laws across the world are as follows:?

US:?Federal law based upon Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. An employee who faces sexual harassment can file a complaint at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission if dissatisfied with the organizational inquiry of the case.

UK:?Victims of sexual harassment can file their complaints with the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 amended in 2008 required employers to protect their employees from customers, suppliers & others they encounter in their work.

?Australia:?Sexual harassment is covered under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. A person who faces sexual harassment can officially complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Japan:?The Male-Female Equal Opportunity law was amended in 1999 and requires the organisation to take strict action against the harasser. If a victim is dissatisfied with the organisation’s procedure, he/she can demand monetary compensation from the perpetrators as well as the company.

China:?The Protection of Rights and Interest of Women law was amended in 2005 and recognised sexual harassment as a violation of the law. A woman who is sexually harassed at her workplace can approach the police and file a complaint under this law.

India:?The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 ("PoSH Act") has been enacted with the objective of preventing and protecting women against workplace sexual harassment and to ensure effective redressal of complaints of sexual harassment. As per Section 3 of the PoSH Act, a woman shall not be subjected to sexual harassment at her workplace.

We can confidently say that the law in India, POSH, gained prominence in the light of the #metoo movement. As a result, companies became wary of damaging their reputation, especially when individuals had access to an external redressal mechanism in place. However, fear is not the solution in the long term.

So what is the solution? The solution is - Awareness & education, compliance and employee empowerment. But it's not as simple as it sounds but some of the areas that we all need to work upon are as follows:?

1. We need to look at?Women's representation at the table while nurturing a positive and inclusive work environment.?
2. Give prominence to gender diversity so that concerns are dealt with empathy
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate - on what is not acceptable workplace?behaviour.?
4. Provide for an unbiased council that focuses on the individual rather than alignment based on business - providing for a robust process for remedial action.?
5. Zero tolerance to any forms of quid pro Quo behaviours where decisions affecting employment are based on employees submitting to or rejecting sexually-oriented conduct.
6. Ensure total confidentiality of complaints and Zero tolerance to any form of retaliation.????????

The next time you witness or encounter a situation, "raise your voice" and "make yourself heard".??When you look back, you will find several supporters -?you will not be alone.