Jharkhand High Court Conducts Workshop On Gender Sensitization And POSH Act To Promote Safe Work Environment

The Jharkhand High Court on 20th March 2025 organized and successfully conducted a workshop on Gender Sensitization with respect to the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013 and related High Court of Jharkhand Regulations, 2021. The workshop aimed at creating a fair and just atmosphere within the legal fraternity.

The workshop was organized under the patronage of Justice M. S. Ramachandra Rao, Chief Justice, High Court of Jharkhand. It was attended by Justice Anubha Rawat Chaoudhary, Chairperson, and Justice Sanjay Prasad, Member, of the High Court of Jharkhand Gender Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee, and other erudite members of the committee.

The key speakers included Shri Manoj Prasad, Registrar General, High Court; Senior Advocate Shri P. P. N. Roy; Advocate Shri Amit Kumar Das; Dr. Raj Shree Verma, Associate Professor, XISS; and Ms. Tanvee, Member Secretary, Gender Sensitization Committee-cum-Deputy Registrar Judicial, High Court, who also served as the convenor and moderator of the event.

Justice Anubha emphasized that a workplace free of harassment is a right and urged the participants to stop the collective culture of silence and tolerance toward discriminatory conduct. Registrar General Shri Manoj Prasad stressed that personal inconvenience should never prevent a victim from raising concerns about workplace sexual harassment.

The Member Secretary of the Committee - Ms. Tanvee read out Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (WICCI) survey statistics that showed despite over a decade since POSH Act came into force, even 53% of Indian women are subjected to workplace harassment in organized sectors too. Dr. Raj Shree Verma demonstrated the webpage of Gender Sensitization linked to the official website of the High Court of Jharkhand.

The workshop saw participation from members of the Registry, members of the bar, officers and staff of the High Court, volunteers of the Gender Sensitization Committee, as well as bank officers and police personnel deputed at the High Court. The session included detailed discussions on the POSH Act, 2013, and the related High Court of Jharkhand Regulations, 2021, with presentations, live examples, and case studies. A POSH quiz and interactive session also took place, encouraging active participation from attendees.

All participants were presented with a Certificate of Participation as encouragement. The workshop concluded with a commitment to fostering accessibility, efficiency, equality, and transparency in the legal system to create a more gender-neutral work environment within the High Court and beyond.