Session on POSH - 2024
POSH Act is a milestone law framed by our country’s legal system to ensure safety and security in the workplace for its women task force. Shikshantar with its deep-rooted ethos of maintaining an equanimous workplace that facilitates ease of expression and comfort to function at optimal capacities for all its employees, holds these sessions for its entire staff including auxiliary staff, every year.
This year the new academic year 2024-25, began for the team members with a session conducted by Dr. Nidhi Marwah from POSHCA an NGO. The NGO was started by a Shikshantar parents who share a passion on the topic. Dr. Marwah spoke in a language best suited to be understood by all staff present in Vajeh Bevajeh that morning. Using a mix of infographics, self-explanatory slides and case studies Dr. Marwah brought home the significance of ‘mindful conduct’ when in the workplace.
The POSH act 2013, expands the meaning of ‘workplace’ to include not just the physical space but also any other function/role/space connected even loosely to work. By ‘mindful conduct’ she included informal talk, jokes, gestures, language, social media behavior or dressing that we take for granted as meaning the same for everyone as it means to us. ‘Impact being larger than the intent’ is the byline to be followed when any such case is reported to the ICC.
It was an enlightening session this time around too. The quiz at the end of the session helped each one of us to reflect on our understanding developed through the session.
The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) members were introduced to all staff before conclusion of the session.