There is a need to change the mindset of society besides bringing in constitutional and legislative provisions to safeguard the interests of women at workplace, Secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat P P K Ramacharyulu said Thursday.
He was speaking at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace'.
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat organised the sensitisation workshop on various aspects of sexual harassment at workplace and the provisions of the act in this regard.
In his concluding address, Ramacharyulu said the constitutional provisions for gender equality have been supplemented from time to time by significant women-centric legislations like the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.
"The implementation of this act has, however, not been able to address the concerns regarding women security and safety at the workplace," he said.
"Besides the constitutional and legislative provisions to safeguard the interest of women at workplace, there is a need to change the mindset of the society," he said.
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Referring to a reply given in the Rajya Sabha in the just concluded Session of Parliament, he said 7,305 cases were registered in the year 2016 in the country which also included cases of sexual harassment at office premises.
While emphasising on the role of Indian women in the development of the economy, he said that even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that if the number of women workers were to increase to the same level as men, India's GDP would expand by 27 per cent.