CMIA empowers Waluj workforce with POSH workshop

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a bid to foster safe and secure workspaces, the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) women's entrepreneur committee organized a vital workshop on the 'Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act' recently at the Nanasaheb Bhogale auditorium, Marathwada Auto Cluster, Waluj.

Advocate Tejal Vakil, leading the session, shed light on the critical legal aspects of the POSH Act, emphasizing its mandatory implementation for all organizations. Her insightful address tackled key misconceptions, including the notion that the Act solely pertains to women's harassment.

Vakil highlighted the importance of reporting, pointing out the alarmingly low statistic of 1 reported case for every 5 incidents. She then differentiated between sexual exploitation and sexual harassment, empowering attendees with clarity on these crucial topics.

Furthermore, she outlined the responsibilities of employers under the POSH Act, stressing the mandatory formation and public display of Internal Complaint Committees (ICCs) in each organization. Additionally, the need for visible penalty boards and employee sensitization programmes through workshops and ICC member orientation was emphasized. Non-compliance with these requirements can lead to a hefty penalty of Rs 50,000 for industries.

The seminar was followed by an interactive Q and A session. CMIA president Dushyant Patil, treasurer Atharveshraj Nandawat, Mihir Soundalgekar, Jitendra Sanghavi, Smita Bhartiya, Utkarsha Patil and others were present.