Briefing 7.1 - Creating inclusive and dignified workplaces, including safe spaces for reporting and effective mechanisms for seeking redress

4. Sexual harassment committees

Setting up an internal sexual harassment committee can be one way to ensure that there is a confidential procedure for complaints to be made and handled. In unionized workplaces sexual harassment committees and their membership can be specified in collective bargaining agreements. In non-unionized workplaces it is more difficult to ensure the principles of independence, impartiality and fairness. These are issues that should be carefully considered when developing workplace procedures. 

Sexual harassment committees can play an important role in raising awareness of sexual harassment, helping to change workplace culture and promote a more positive working environment. They can have a role in suggesting solutions to factory-wide problems and give workers and employers an opportunity to see the benefits of constructive social dialogue at local level.

However, there are many challenges to be overcome in setting up and making committees visible and effective. Multi-stakeholder initiatives such as FWF, ETP and ETI have found that most suppliers do not have internal complaints committees that deal with sexual harassment, and where they do exist workers are often not aware of them. High turnover of workers presents challenges to training committee members. A further problem is that some factories and farms employ workers through sub-contractors, particularly when there is a peak in orders. These workers often do not have contracts of employment and are not covered by internal complaints procedures.

In some workplaces, ICCs have begun to play an important role in enabling new groups of workers to be trained and know their rights, and for managers to see that preventing violence and sexual harassment can bring benefits to the factory. The establishment of a committee can also be a first step for trade unions to play a role in the workplace and an important early step towards giving workers some voice and suggesting solutions to organizational issues. However, it is important that the committees are open to scrutiny if they are to function effectively and not lead to further problems for complainants.

There is some evidence that internal committees can have a positive impact in reducing sexual harassment and in changing the way that women are perceived in factories. FWF training under the programme resulted in more harassment cases reported to the anti-harassment committees and via the FWF telephone helpline. The project piloted new workplace procedures in Indian and Bangladeshi factories where there were no unions, as a first step towards social dialogue. In an environment where few workers are aware of their rights, FWF worker training provided a first exposure to labour rights, such as reasonable working hours, a safe and healthy working environment, and freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.  Practical strategies to implement sexual harassment legislation included the establishment of worker-elected anti-harassment committees and formal policies and grievance procedures, in more than 50 garment factories. Thirty four anti-harassment committees, composed of workers’ representatives, factory management and representatives of non-governmental organizations, were operational in Bangladesh and India in 2014. Since taking on the additional responsibility of participating in anti-harassment committees, some women have become a more vocal presence on the factory floor and an increasing number of women have been promoted to supervisory roles since the start of the project.

However, it is important to be aware of the challenges in setting up and running sexual harassment committees. A survey carried out by the business organization ELEVATE in Indian garment factories found a number of challenges in implementing legislation on sexual harassment in the workplace. Female workers said it was the management’s responsibility to ensure a harassment- free workplace, but they had less confidence in managers’ capacities to handle sexual harassment incidents than male workers. Most workers reported that there was a general Internal Complaints Committee in their factory but only a small number had heard of the local complaints committee for sexual harassment. The survey found limited evidence of training and contract workers and workers with lower levels of education were most vulnerable. 

Source: Webinar sexual harassment in Indian workplace:
http://www.elevatelimited.com/webinars/33-blog/past-webinars/202-sexual-harassment-awareness-in-indian-factories-survey-results