Author: PRIA Blog
The first training in the programme concluded in Lucknow last evening with 21 graduates in its first batch.
Under the overarching goal of prevention of sexual harassment at workplace and creating safe and conducive workplaces for all women, PRIA and Martha Farrell Foundation launched a unique Third Party Facilitators training programme earlier this month. The first of its kind in the country, the programme envisages that every district, block and national level organisation be represented by strong, sensitive, just and trained members and third party representatives for the effective functioning of each of these internal and local complaints committees.
Under the Government of India’s new law on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act, 2013, the prevention of sexual harassment at workplace is the responsibility of the employer. It mandates the constitution of an Internal and Local Complaints Committee at the institutional and district levels to deal with cases of sexual harassment at workplace including orientation of all staff on the issue. Having a third party facilitator in such a committee is also made mandatory by the law.
This niche training programme is intended to meet the training needs and capacity building challenges on the issue of Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace. Its design has been carefully planned keeping in mind the learning needs and requirements of working professionals of today wishing to enhance their skills and capacities on the issue. It makes use of innovative participatory methodologies of coaching and training delivered in the blended mode.
The Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF) has been set up to systematically take forward, with long-term commitment, the legacy of Dr. Martha Farrell who has pioneered the gender mainstreaming initiatives in PRIA and its partner organisations. As one of the leading knowledge resource organizations in the country, PRIA’s collaborative initiative with Martha Farrell Foundation recognises that there is a paucity of trained professionals on the theme of preventing Sexual Harassment at Workplace. Therefore, this initiative is designed to generate awareness about the Act, train and certify Third Party Facilitators, and provide some of them fellowships for undertaking real practical transformation in gender relations at workplaces.
The first batch completed their certification programme in a training conducted in collaboration with Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra in Lucknow on 28th October 2015.
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