Why do educated men harass female colleagues at the workplace? Psyche of the Sexual Harasser

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Why do educated men harass female colleagues at the workplace? Psyche of the Sexual Harasser

Does sexual harassment have anything to do with the education level of either the perpetrator or the victim? Does being a CEO of a company or a school dropout make them more or less prone to being a harasser? Is it even right to compare education with harassment?

Studies were done by the American Psychological Association and Fortis Healthcare, which state that sexual harassment has nothing to do with sexual desire. It is more to do with power and the abuse of that power and authority. Sexual harassment is a manifestation of power play between the two sexes.

But where does this power come from? Power can come in different forms �€” being in a position to affect the promotions, salary, work, etc. of a woman employee, age, experience, physical size, social or economic status, etc. It is not so much the power but the ability to abuse it by suppressing the victim, which creates the imbalance.

Another basis of power is society. Any society which objectifies women or puts them in an inferior or subordinate position to men gives them power over women. It is also a society which defines the ‘proper role’ of a man and a woman. A woman breaking out of that ‘predefined’ role is seen as a rebel and thus needs to be put in her ‘proper place.’

Another study done by University of Missouri-Columbia says the continued problem of sexual harassment lies in the fact how men and women define ‘power.’ For men, power comes from formal authority whereas, for women, anyone who can ‘harm’ them in any way is in a position of power. Thus, a ‘harmless flirtatious’ comment by a male co-worker can be construed as sexual harassment by a female.

In such a complex range of definitions and possible misunderstandings, how do you differentiate between an expression of interest and sexual harassment? The simplest way is going back to the definition �€” sexual harassment is defined as an unwelcome, unwanted sexual advance which makes the woman uncomfortable, makes the work environment feel hostile and negatively affects her health and work. Sexual harassment is not meant to woo women; it is meant to coerce them.

It is thus important to understand the psyche of the harasser, which goes beyond his education. It is his perceptions, beliefs and understanding of the ‘role of a woman’ which play a bigger part in his being a perpetrator.

In order to prevent the occurrences of sexual harassment at the workplace, training and Sensitisation of employees �€” whether male or female, becomes imperative. A formal training session on sexual harassment can clear misconceptions in an organised manner in the shortest time possible. At Complykaro, we provide tailored training programs based on the needs of the organisation to sensitise its employees and explain the safeguards enshrined in the law.

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Ashish Singhania (Co-Founder & Director)

Ashish Singhania

Credited with 25 years of experience, this astute businessman passionately promotes what he believes in: workplace safety which in turn helps employees get more productive. A commerce graduate of Sydenham College, his background in finance has helped him scale heights in stocks and real estate and made him a well-known industrialist, today. But after having achieved astounding success in the financial market and real estate business, he did not want to rest on his laurels. He always had a strong desire to do something for society and he could forsee the importance of compliance and the safety of women at the workplace. Being a man with deep rooted values at heart he decided to partner the cause and help bring about a change.

 

 

Prem Rajani (Co-Founder)

Prem Rajani

Prem Rajani is the Managing Partner of Rajani Associates a full service national law firm, with experience spanning over two decades. Having passed his LL.B. examination from Government Law College, Mumbai in May 1990, he went on to then pass the Solicitors examination conducted by the Bombay Incorporated Law Society in March 1992 and later the Solicitors examination conducted by the Law Society, London, in April 1994.

 

Mr Rajani had the opportunity to handle numerous matters relating to Foreign Exchange Laws along with FDI Policy which was introduced in India in 1991 and also saw the advent and evolvement of FEMA and was likewise involved in numerous matters on FEMA with the gradual opening up of various sectors, he continued to gain knowledge in each of them and build on his expertise. Today, Prem Rajani is an expert on many laws and uses this expertise in structuring deals and finding solutions to complex situations. A client is never unsatisfied after meeting Prem Rajani

 

Although Prem Rajani created a niche for himself in corporate practice, he has also honed his skills in specialised fields such as conveyance and litigation. This diverse enrichment in various categories, has helped him evolve into a towering personality, in his field.

 

 

Sangeeta Lakhi (Co-Founder)

SANGEETA LAKHI

Sangeeta Lakhi is a Senior Partner with Rajani Associates and has been instrumental in the Firm’s development and growth. She passed her LL.B. examination in 1993 and carries with her vast and varied experience spanning 21 years. Sangeeta Lakhi heads the International Capital Markets as well as the Banking & Finance Practice of the firm. She also advises clients in General Company Law, Exchange Control and SEBI corporate matters.

 

 

Neha Kedia (VP & PoSH ICC Member)

SANGEETA LAKHI

Neha is an External Member of the Internal Complaints Committees of multinational companies, listed companies, associations and various other companies. Neha has a deep understanding of the PoSH law with more than 09 years of relevant experience to conduct a neutral, unbiased, fair and time bound redressal of sexual harassment complaints at the workplace.

 

Neha is very passionate about women’s rights and is a huge advocate for equality at the workplace. Neha is a Commerce graduate from Sydenham College, Mumbai and has completed her Post Graduation Certificate course in Human Rights from Government Law College & Hurt Foundation, Mumbai.

 

Neha as over the past 15 years gained significant experience in customer relationships and networking while heading the Personal Travel division at Ramniranjan Kedia Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. Neha is a keen student of human nature and excels in client interaction and retention. Neha has been known to drive her teams to achieve targets and aptly service demanding client requirements and currently looks after network building and crystallizing marketing strategies for Complykaro, an idea she has been part of since it’s inception.

 

 

Rishab Bhuwalka (Vice President – Sales & Strategy)

Rishabh

Rishab is a seasoned professional with over 8 years of invaluable hands-on experience in client-facing roles that span his career. His expertise lies in cultivating successful strategic partnerships that benefit all stakeholders. With a keen aptitude for organizational management, Rishab excels at fostering enduring client relationships. His dedication centers around enhancing Complykaro’s visibility and brand esteem. At Complykaro, Rishab spearheads pivotal responsibilities, including business development, strategic planning, and operational excellence.

 

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    Mr. Vishal Kedia (Founder & Director)

    Vishal

    Areas of Expertise:

    • Eloquent orator about sexual harassment of women at workplace, its organizational ramifications,and preventive measures.
    • Acclaimed PoSH and Code of Conduct trainer.
    • Subject Matter Expert on corporate compliance.
    • Avid reader regarding compliance issues and court judgements to be abreast with the latest

    Education:

    • Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com), Sydenham College
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA), National University of Singapore
    • Diploma, Business Finance, ICFAI, Hyderabad

    Being a fierce entrepreneur, an acknowledged speaker about harassment of women at workplace and a reputable PoSH trainer, Mr. Vishal Kedia actively helps companies function smoothly by creating a compliant workplace for them.

     

    He has trained over 40,000 Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) members, numerous corporate leaders & their employees across industries and lawyers of prestigious law-firms through his classroom seminars for PoSH training.

    Adding to his roaring success, Mr. Vishal Kedia has won “101 Top Global Diversity & Inclusion Leaders Award” at 27th World HRD Congress, “Global Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award” at 25th World HRD Congress and “The Leading CEO of the Year Award” at the 6th Annual Greentech HR Awards.

     

    He has been a compelling speaker on the prevention and corporate consequences of sexual harassment of women at the workplace and the PoSH Act at various esteemed public events organised by NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies), ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India), ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India), ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India), PHDCCI (PhD Chamber of Commerce and Industry) among others. Mr. Vishal Kedia is also a celebrated member of the prestigious HRD Network.

     

    By the virtue of his tremendous compliance expertise beyond just the PoSH Act, Mr. Vishal Kedia has conducted several training seminars for Whistleblower Committee Members of distinguished corporates for undertaking potent investigation pertaining to the violation of the code of conduct.

     

    Moreover, he has contributed to a number of notable publications:

     

    • Experts Pharma
    • Express Healthcare
    • BSE Broker’s Forum
    • Compliance & Ethics Professional, etc.

     

    Testimonials specifically for Mr. Kedia:

     

    “Vishal is very engaging facilitator, use of case study, live media example, court judgements were the key highlight of session. Thank You”

     

    Reliance Industries, Ltd.

    “It was a very good training. Vishal shared a lot of practical scenarios. Overall it was an informative session. Good job!”

     

    IDFC First Bank

    “What I was amazed with was not one question was left unanswered or even ambiguous by Vishal. Very clear informative seminar.”

     

    Nadiadwala Grandsons

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