Gender Neutrality in Workplace Sexual Harassment Laws

Even though the Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act and Rules, 2013 (herein referred to as the POSH Act)2 can be regarded as a ‘good law’, that covers all the requisite bases, from laying down an extensive definition of sexual harassment to setting up a grievance committee, it is lacking in identifying workplace harassment as a phenomenon with interspersing social, cultural, power-related, relationship-related and gender and sexuality-related factors. It further alienates other gendered individuals and men from experiencing the effects of this violation of human rights.

This piece intends to draw an insightful parallel between the sexual harassment at workplace laws across the world and the present state of affairs in India, thereby offering a substantial way forward.