Excelsior Correspondent
GANDERBAL, June 16: Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Farooq Ahmad Shah today said the varsity has absolutely zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assaults on female staffers and students pursuing their careers and education respectively.
“The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted by the university in the year 2014 has received few complaints about the sexual harassments till date and the registered complaints have been dealt very strictly,” Prof Shah said while addressing the participants during a programme “Awareness for the Gender Champions”, organized by the ICC to sensitize the champions about their role in checking and reporting the cases of sexual harassments in different university campuses.
The VC asked the Gender Champions to spread awareness among the students’ community across the campuses about the ways to register complaints in ICC against those indulging in sexual harassment. “Women employees and students facing sexual harassment should break the taboo and courageously report the same so that the culprits are punished and a secure and safe environment is provided for their working,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Registrar, Prof M Afzal Zargar said the Gender Champions are the eyes and ears of the ICC and have to play a pivotal role in making the university environment conducive and comfortable for the female students and staff.
Urging the participants to change the patriarchal mindset of people, Prof Zargar, however cautioned the participants to be extremely careful while dealing with the cases of sexual harassment as there have been instances wherein the allegations after thorough probe have turned out to be malicious attempt to denigrate the individuals.
ICC Presiding Officer, Dr Mir Insha Farooq said, the sexual harassment complaints received by the ICC have been disposed of in a time bound manner as it causes lot of distress to both the complainant and the accused.
During the first technical session, chaired by Asst Prof Dr Himabindu, Adv Sonali Satpathy, in her presentation spoke about the forms of sexual harassment at workplaces while in the second technical session, chaired by Asst Prof Dr Ishrat Bashir, Deputy Secretary Law, Adv Narjees Nawab traced the history of laws regarding the sexual harassment of women.
ICC Member Secretary, Dr Khalid Waseem conducted the proceedings while as ICC Member, Dr Ibraq proposed the vote of thanks.
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