The Administrative Training Institute (ATI), in collaboration with the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, conducted a two day workshop on the Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace from July 7 to 8, 2026. The workshop was attended by officials from district administrations and various government departments.
During an interactive session with V Shashank Shekhar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary and Director General, ATI, participants shared their experiences and perspectives on workplace safety and the implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act in their respective workplaces and the wider social context.
Participants identified fear of stigmatisation and retaliation as major challenges to reporting cases of inappropriate behaviour at the workplace. They also observed that a lack of awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment has contributed to the normalisation of inappropriate verbal remarks and jokes with sexual innuendo.
The participants stressed the need to create safer workplaces by increasing awareness of the PoSH Act, strengthening the role of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and Local Committees (LCs), and promoting a culture of respect and accountability. They also highlighted the important role of churches and civil society organisations in raising awareness and encouraging respectful workplace behaviour.
Participants further emphasised that offenders should be held accountable. The role of families in instilling moral and ethical values from an early age was also discussed.
Shashank Shekhar thanked the participants for their active engagement and valuable insights. He also shared an old adage, saying that “pointing out unrighteousness is also righteousness.”
The programme was attended by Bendanglila, Additional Director, ATI; Kaholi Sema, Joint Director, ATI and workshop coordinator; and other officers and staff of the institute.
