59% women believe men get away easily with harassment: Kashmala

Federal ombudsperson for anti-harassment highlights recent increase in such incidents

ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsperson for Anti-Harassment Kashmala Tariq, during a session at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) said that the ratio of men and women in universities has started to even out as the number of women being enrolled has increased. However, other social problems such as harassment and social barriers have also been on the rise.

She stated that some surveys indicate that 59 per cent women believed that men get away easily with harassment allegations and cases against them are never registered.

Tariq expressed her opinion that the semester system in universities was one of the primary reasons of harassment cases as it empowers the faculty. The harassment committees at university level are ineffective due to their slow speed, she added.

She stated that behaviour which is inappropriate and does not go along with the office environment is classified as harassment.

She highlighted the negative side which exists in our society and emphasised to impose gender equality in every institution.

She further offered the services of her office to the attendants in providing a harassment free environment in the institutions.

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The session started with the commending words from National Commission On The Status Of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz.

Later, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Muhammad Asghar enlightened the attendants about the current situation of male and female admissions at university level.

The attendants of session raised the issues such as discriminatory treatment, low number of women at higher positions, sexual harassment, pressure from society and family, different pay scales for men and women at same designation and outdated concepts.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2019.