ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has decided to hold a public hearing on Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Bill 2021— in a bid to forge broader public consensus on “this important piece of legislation.”

The committee met under the chair of Walid Iqbal from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday.

The committee unanimously passed three bills; The Juvenile Justice System (Amendment) Bill 2021, The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Protection (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (Amendment) Bill 2021 moved by Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari.

Taking up the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Senate panel was of the view that there were several loopholes in the bill that needed to be addressed.

“In view of public uproar against the bill, it is recommended that women rights groups and other human rights organisations be consulted. This important piece of legislation merits thorough assessment,” said the chairman committee.

“A holistic approach is, therefore, required to forge broader consensus on legislation involving a matter as important and sensitive as protection of women from harassment at workplace,” he added.

The committee then decided to conduct a public hearing on the matter on the sixth of next month. The bill seeks to amend Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010.

According to its Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill “aims to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce by removing the lacuna present in the existing law. It broadens the ambit and scope of the law to include certain professions and employment models that the current law does not expressly mention.”

The statement adds, “Through these amendments, protection from harassment shall be provided to people engaged in all types of work - formal and informal. The amendment bill will also provide clarity with respect to different kinds of harassment that take place at the workplace. This purpose of this amendment is to fulfil Pakistan’s constitutional obligations to its citizens and to guarantee them their dignity and prevention of discrimination on the basis of sex in their professions and to achieve the goal of increased women participation of women in the workplace. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objectives.”

The senators including Seeme Ezdi, Falak Naz, Quratulain Marri, Tahir Bizenjo and senior officials of the Human Rights Ministry and its attached departments, led by Dr Mazari, attended the meeting. Senator Keshoo Bai also showed up at the conclave as a special invitee.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021