Still no country for women

Justice for crimes against women remains elusive

Public concern ahead of the third anniversary of the gang-rape and death of a paramedical student in Delhi has focused on the implications of the impending release of the juvenile who was involved in the crime. It would, however, be a pity if the discourse were limited to this issue. The tragedy did prod Parliament into approving tighter laws against rape and sexual harassment in the workplace, but this activity was largely prompted by the global notoriety that India attracted following unprecedented protests around India Gate and Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in the days following the tragedy. Three years on, it is safe to say justice for crimes against women remains an elusive goal in India. A good part of the reason for this is that gender equality does not figure as the primary agenda of any political party, an approach that is reflected in apathy and disinterest in the law and order and legal machinery. Home ministry officials cite this as the proximate cause for the relatively low rate of rape convictions - of 68,000 rape cases registered between 2009 and 2011, only 16,000 resulted in a prison sentence. The superficial approach of India's lawmakers was amply demonstrated when the United Progressive Alliance government instituted a fund for women's security and welfare, which has spent about one per cent of the Rs 3,000 crore allocated so far. A bank for women, now nearly moribund, reveals the absurd tokenism of these lawmakers towards a serious issue that affects almost half of India's population, certainly all its young women.

This perfunctory approach finds its depressing reflection in the corporate world. A recent survey showed that two years after Parliament passed the workplace sexual harassment law, nearly 97 per cent of organisations are unaware of it. It can, thus, be inferred that many organisations lack the mandatory internal sexual harassment complaints committee. This fact was underlined when accusations of sexual harassment by a woman colleague against then Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal revealed that his company, which once organised an event devoted to women's rights, lacked such an internal committee.

Indifference to making Indian workplaces more gender-friendly can also be demonstrated in the extraordinary developments at The Energy and Resources Institute or Teri, which conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development . Its director general, R K Pachauri, remains in charge after he had obtained a favourable verdict from a court of law, even though an internal committee had earlier found him guilty of misconduct with a female employee. Even more bizarrely, Teri's ostensibly independent governing council had appointed a successor to Mr Pachauri, but it now stands by as he continues to head Teri. Indeed, it is the complainant who has felt constrained to leave and the head of the internal complaints committee too has left the organisation. If this is an example of governance by a council comprising some of India's best-known corporate names, the environment for women employees in other establishments can scarcely be imagined. If the government were to make it mandatory for companies to disclose their internal complaints committees for sexual harassment and impose penalties for inaction, it would do the memory of the December 16 victim much more honour than by setting up banks and funds.