Redressal of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace: A Study of Legal Educational Institutions in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Abstract

The new-age India has been characterized by the participation of a higher number of women in the labour force. Unfortunately, the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace has also risen. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 is a significant piece of legislation aimed at preventing gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Following the enactment of this law, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued the UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations of 2015. This paper aims to study the existing legal framework for addressing the issue of sexual harassment in India. It analyses the state of implementation of UGC regulations at legal education institutions in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The study involves a combination of primary and secondary data sourced via the UGC’s online portal and a survey conducted among students at one law school in Ahmedabad. The results show poor compliance with the regulations, and, finally, this paper advocates for a more inclusive and independent grievance redressal mechanism.