THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and its women’s sub-committee, the All India Coordination Committee of Working Women (AICCWW-CITU), in a statement issued on December 15, express deep concern and anguish over the distressing revelation made by a civil judge in Banda, Uttar Pradesh. The judge has disclosed incidents of sexual harassment and torture she endured, to the extent that she contemplated seeking permission to end her life.

The complaint made by the civil judge against a specific district judge and his associates, detailing instances of abuse within an open court, along with her continuous  complaints, including an application for transfer, has proven futile. This paints a grim picture of the challenges faced by working women, even those of the stature of a judge, within the judicial system as well.

The judge's poignant statement (as reported), "I wish to tell the working women in India; Learn to live with sexual harassment. It’s the truth of our lives," and her assertion that "The POSH Act (2013) is a big wholesome lie," resonates with the experience of a majority of working women in the country who are non-unionised and are compelled to fight their battles individually . If this is the situation faced by a judge, one can only imagine the hardships that women workers in the private sector and those in the unorganised sector must be enduring.

The All India Coordination Committee of Working Women (AICCWW-CITU) has been continuously demanding and actively fighting for the strict implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in all workplaces, including the unorganised sector. Despite the passage of ten years since the enactment of the law, a significant number of establishments, including central government offices and ministries, have failed to form or effectively operate Internal Committees as mandated by the POSH Act. The local committees have not been formed in the majority of districts.

The experience of the working women’s movement in the country shows that collective efforts and unionisation play pivotal roles in the successful implementation of this law. The trade union movement has consistently called for the inclusion of women representatives from trade unions in the Internal Committees (ICs).

The recent order by the chief justice of India to conduct an inquiry into the mentioned case is welcome. However, AICCWW (CITU) emphasizes the need for a comprehensive assessment of the functioning of Internal Committees and Local Committees and demands the immediate and strict enforcement of the law in both organised and unorganised sectors by the concerned ministry and enforcement authorities at various levels.

In light of these developments, CITU and AICCWW (CITU) call upon working women at large, and its units and women’s sub-committees in particular, to intensify campaigns among workers on their rights and the ongoing struggles for the effective implementation of the POSH Act.