Mail News Service
\nNew Delhi, Mar 26: The Ministry of Women and Child Development has prepared two Bills to protect children and women from sexual abuse and exploitation. These are the \u2018The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011\u2019 and \u2018The Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010\u2019.
\nThe objectives of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011, are to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, pornography. It provides for establishment of Special Courts for trial of such offences keeping the best interest of the child as of paramount importance at every stage of the judicial process. The Bill also incorporates detailed child-friendly procedures for reporting and trial of cases. The Bill has been reviewed by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development. The Committee received several suggestions from Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and experts, and these were forwarded to Ministry of Women and Child Development. The Committee presented its report on 21st December, 2011, which includes several recommendations for amendment to the Bill.
\nWhereas \u2018The Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010\u2019 provides protection to all women, irrespective of her age or employment status, whether in the organized or unorganized sectors, and covers a client, customer, apprentice, daily wage worker, student\/research scholar and patient in a hospital. The Bill defines \u201csexual harassment at the workplace\u201d in a comprehensive manner, in keeping with the definition laid down in the Vishaka judgment of Hon\u2019ble Supreme Court, and broadens it further to cover the promise or threat to a woman\u2019s employment prospects or creation of hostile work environment, which is equally detrimental to her equality rights.
\nThe Bill has also been reviewed by the Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development. The Committee presented its report on 8th December 2011. It has made wide ranging recommendations on various provisions of the Bill and has suggested that the Bill may be passed after incorporating their recommendations regarding title of the Bill, issue of gender neutrality, inclusion of domestic workers, definition of employer, sexual harassment, concept of victimisation and complaint of sexual harassment etc.
\nThe Ministry reviewed the reports submitted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on both the Bills and made necessary changes based on the recommendations. The amendments to the Bills have been circulated to the concerned Ministries\/Departments for comments.
\nThis was stated by the Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. <\/p>\n\n