#MeToo on the Factory Floors: Training your workers in the intricacies of the PoSH Law

There is a common misconception that Sexual Harassment is more prevalent in fancy, air-conditioned, sanitised offices of big corporates than on factory floors. The #MeToo movement and the conversations surrounding it on social media may give the impression that the politics of she-said-he-said do not affect the millions of industrial workers in India. However, nothing could be further from the truth. A deeper ingrained Sexual Harassment is rampant in our factories, manufacturing houses, and industrial units. In these places, the harasser is often so confident about his authority that he doesn’t make his sexual overtures subtle. Hence PoSH law awareness training is essential in such settings.

In industrial settings, the hierarchy of power is more clearly defined 

The WorkSafe Industrial PoSH training module portrays one such story where you see the supervisor demand sexual favours unabashedly from a female worker to grant her leave. Even though there is visible discomfort on her face, the supervisor does not feel uneasy about asking her to join him in his quarters after work. This quid pro quo is a commonplace incident in workspaces where the power hierarchy is precisely delineated. The dearth of checks and balances in an industrial setting—like a Human Resources Department in a corporate office—often allows a person in authority to behave as he likes without bothering about the repercussions. On the other hand, the subordinate female worker feels so insignificant and defenceless that she will either forgo the leave she needs or someday acquiesce to her superior’s sexual overtures.

Rainmaker’s WorkSafe Industrial module tailors the PoSH Act, 2013 to industrial settings

The Parliament passed the PoSH Act, 2013, to safeguard women in these susceptible positions, who have historically not had a forum to voice their accusations against a predatory superior. Rainmaker has tailored the WorkSafe Industrial module specifically to a factory setting to help people working there understand Sexual Harassment and the prohibited behaviours under the PoSH Act. The module also succinctly explains the PoSH Act, which deals with the constitution and functioning of the Internal Committee, registering a complaint with the Internal Committee and the punishments that it can impose.

As a note of caution, the module also depicts a discussion between two female workers, one of whom is plotting to complain to the Internal Committee against a supervisor. Her complaint is malicious since she only wants to cause trouble for her supervisor, who has not agreed to change her shift timings. The module warns female workers against misusing the PoSH Act because if the Internal Committee finds that a complaint was made in bad faith, it will Punish the complainant.

PoSH training in Hindi is the need of the hour for large sections working in the industrial sector

The short under 20 minutes video outlines the provisions of the PoSH Act practically and engagingly. Industry and factory owners looking to introduce PoSH awareness training for their staff should consider using the WorkSafe Industrial module. The biggest USP of the WorkSafe Industrial module is Hindi, which makes it accessible to a large section of workers engaged in the Indian industrial sector.

Author: Pallavi Mohan
Editor: Sumali Nagarajan

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