City organisations to take out rally on World Human Rights Day

Activism against sexual harassment at the work place began in the early 1980s with the Forum against sexual harassment of women (Mumbai),she said.

“Till1997,the only recourse for women was to file a case under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code that deals with the ‘criminal assault of women to outrage women’s modesty’,and Section 509 that punishes an individual/individuals for using a ‘word,gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman’. These sections left the interpretation of ‘outraging women’s modesty’ to the discretion of the police officer,” Dhamadhere said.

It was only in 1997 after a Supreme Court judgment that guidelines were established with respect to complaints dealing with complaints about sexual harassment. The judgement was a result of an NGO named Vishaka that took up the case of a woman – worker of the Women Development Programme – who was gangraped in Rajasthan when she was trying to prevent child marriages.

Following this,the government decided to draft a bill on sexual harassment at the work place.

“Over the past fortnight,we have been holding exhibitions,signature campaigns,workshops,film shows,street plays and day-long seminars to create awareness across the city to spread awareness about the subject,” she said.

The Centre for Youth and Development Activities also ran a signature campaign on the subject.

The rally will start from Savitribai Phule statue,Sarasbaug at 2.30pm on Thursday and it will culminate at Shaniwarwada by 4pm where veteran women activist Kiran Moghe will address the supporters.

A poster exhibition will be put up and street plays will be performed by CYDA and NCAS. We will end the program with a common oath to stop violence,said Dhamadhere.

On Thursday,a play will be put up by the Stree Mukti Sanghtana at 6 pm. A 10-minute film called “Samatechya Watevar” – “journey of feminist movement” directed by Sushma Deshpande,written by Jyoti Mhapsekar at an organisation called Snehsadan will also be screened.