Toshimenla Jamir
Naga society is characterized by a positive openness in the relations between members of the opposite sexes. From the olden days, there are no restrictions on the intermingling of young boys and girls in our society.
In fact, the practice of belonging to ‘peer–group’ throughout one’s life is a very significant feature of our cultural life where the members of a particular age–group irrespective of sex, undertook and participated in all social and cultural activities together. Though this practice is no longer strictly followed in the urban areas today, the traditional mode of easy social relations of interaction among the different sexes without inhibitions prevails till date.
However, there are indicators that today, sexual harassment, which was alien to Naga culture, is on the rise, especially in the work place. A Sociological study shows that 15 percent out of 150 randomly selected Naga women had faced sexual harassment of different degrees. Although the overall percentage does not seem alarmingly large, it makes sense to nip this gendered harassment in its bud before it assumes monstrous proportions. Some very common acts of sexual harassment in Naga society are, sexually determined negative remarks by men such as “what do you know – you are just a woman”, prejudice by co–workers in occupational or professional performance by way of undermining one’s capabilities, sexist insults, or unwelcome and unwanted ‘invitation’ by men (married as well as unmarried) and superiors in the work place, etc. It would not be amiss to state that single working women are most singled out for unwanted and unwelcome sexual attention by male colleagues.
To tackle this problem a proper understanding of the concept of sexual harassment is necessary, so that one do not fall a victim of it unknowingly. So, what constitutes sexual harassment? Amongst the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has been in the vanguard in addressing discrimination against women, especially working women, particularly through the adoption of the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958. In its 1988 ‘General Survey’ on the Convention, the ‘Committee of Experts’ list a number of examples of sexual harassment in employment. These include insults, remarks, jokes (sexist), insinuations and inappropriate comments on a person’s dress, physique, age, dignity, unwelcome invitations or requests that are implicit or explicit whether or not accompanied by threats, lascivious looks or other gestures associated with sexuality, unnecessary physical contact such as touching, caresses, pinching or assault. The committee of experts stressed that in order to be qualified as sexual harassment, an act of this type must also be justly perceived as a condition of employment or a pre-condition of employment, or influence decisions taken in this field or prejudice occupational performance; or humiliate, insult, or intimidate the person suffering from such insults. Further, in the European Union (EU) code of practice, the definition is given as “Sexual harassment means unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or other conduct based on sex affecting the dignity of men and women at work. This can include unwelcome physical, verbal or non–verbal conduct. It is unacceptable if such a conduct on the part of the employers or workers (including superiors or colleagues) is used explicitly or implicitly as a basis for decisions which affects that person’s access to vocational training or employment, promotion, salary or any other employment decisions, and/or such conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or humiliating work environment for the recipient.
In India, the Supreme Court has made it mandatory for central, private and public sector undertakings to ensure that women do not work in hostile environment. It defined sexual harassment as “Such unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) as physical contact and advances, a demand or request for sexual favors, sexually colored remarks, showing pornography and other unwelcome physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.
The upward trend of sexual harassment in Naga society can be effectively curbed if this problem is addressed in the proper perspective through gender–sensitizing programmes, awareness generation through education, creation of grievance–redressal cells in every departments, etc. Sexual harassment should be considered as a social problem that undermines the dignity of the victims involved, hindering their fullest development and valuable contribution to societal growth.
The writer is Lecturer Department of Sociology Nagaland University
