Complaints & Investigation Cell
Legal Cell
PMR Cell
Non Resident Indians Cell
North East Cell
NCW Cells AllDr. Charu WaliKhanna, Member NCW was Chief Guest at the Workshop on ‘Gender Sensitization and Committee against Sexual Harassment’ organized by Aligarh Muslim Teachers Association (AMUTA), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh on 20th March, 2013
Dr. Charu WaliKhanna made a power point presentation on the role of NCW in drafting of the legislation on prevention of sexual harassment at workplace and law relating to it. She also spoke about the mandatory requirement of constitution of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) as per the Supreme Court guidelines given in the Vishakha judgment. She said that it has been observed that most organizations / institutions have constituted an ICC, but it is not as per Supreme Court guidelines. She added that the law requires the ICC be headed by a woman, half the members should be women and there should be inclusion of a third party / NGO, who is accessible, approachable, committed, sensitive and understanding.
She spoke extensively on right and problems of working women, need for gender sensitization and women’s vulnerability to sexual violence etc.
There was a live and long discussion in which staff and students of AMU asked a number of questions and raised issues e.g. need for hostel for working women, rules relating to Child Care Leave, women’s cell, women toilets for privacy, attitude of police towards women amongst others etc. It was also brought to the notice of the Member that women students are being denied equal access to the resources of the university, particularly its Central Library, to undergraduate women students.
Mr. Mustafa Zaidi, the Secretary of the AMUTA and Prof. Anwar Zuberi, former Chairperson of the AMU Women Cell also addressed the gathering and shared their experiences. Prof. Naima Gulrez, Prof. Nighat Ahmed, Director, Centre for Women Studies, Dr. Rani Majudar, Dr. Shadab Bano, Dr. Nishat, Dr. Syed, Dr. Shehrusand and Dr. Chandni Bi among others actively participated in the discussion.
The discussion was brought to a conclusion by Prof. Abdul Qayum, the President of the Association and vote of thanks proposed by Dr. S. Chandni Bi, the only female member of the association, who was elected unopposed after many decades. The gathering also thanked Chandni Bi for making such efforts to celebrate International Women’s Day for the first time in the campus.
