Senior livestock department official censured for harassing woman

LAHORE:

Ombudswoman Farkhanda Wasim Afzal penalised a senior Livestock Department official on Thursday for behaving in a “demeaning, objectionable and unacceptable” manner with a woman official.

The woman had lodged a complaint regarding the official’s conduct under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010.



The ombudswoman concluded that the official’s demeaning attitude and use of objectionable language constituted harassment in accordance with the Act’s provisions.

Awarding the penalty of censure, Afzal said such conduct was morally unacceptable and contributed towards fostering an unfriendly environment for women at workplaces. She said such antics were cognisable under the Act.

Earlier, all female traffic wardens recruited last year for patrolling duties were given desk assignments. Talking to The Express Tribune, some wardens said incidents of harassment by male commuters and lack of separate facilities, like restrooms and sitting area, near their posts had led them to abandon patrolling duties.



Talking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity, one of the female wardens said she left patrolling duties and opted for office assignment after a harassment incident involving her colleague near GPO Chowk. She said a motorcyclist and his pillion stopped for a violation had groped her colleague when she asked for the driving licence. “I felt extremely vulnerable. We broke into tears and went to the CTO office to tell him about it,” she said. She said frequent incidents of harassment on the roads was a key reason why she and her several colleagues decided to move to a desk job.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2015.