Sexual harassment cases - seeking international info

From Sakshi <sakshi@unv.ernet.in>,
6 March, 1995

Dear Friends, Enclosing here is an Appeal sent by Delhi based Women's group - Sakshi (email: sakshi@unv.ernet.in, Contact: Naina Kapur). Any help to them procuring information on legal cases, precedences, existing laws etc. on the issue of sexual harrasement in the third world countries / commenwealth countries would be appreciated.

Thanking you in advance,

Jagdish parikh
International Liaison
(Interdoc-AsPac)

From: sakshi@unv.ernet.in (Naina Kapur - SAKSHI)

Hello everyone, I need help.

Some of you may be aware of a sexual harassment case which is pending before the supreme court of India. The case arose out of the gang rape of a rural women working for the Rajasthan State Women's Development Programme.

She was actively campaigning against child marriage (again at the instance of the state) for which she encountered a lot of harassment. Though the officials were aware of her situation, none of them did anything.

As a result she was gang-raped. The subsequent negligence on the part of different authorities was appalling, making her situation even worse then it should have been. I can't go into too much detail but we have now filed a case for the Supreme Court to implement guidelines prepared by us on sexual harassment. I think the case is unique in that it takes the situation of women working in rural sectors as its basis.

Often the concept of sexual harassment is brushed aside as a western phenomenon. Anyhow, the case is coming up soon for final hearing.

We really need input from both Commonwealth countries as well as other third world countries on the legal postiion, cases, other documentation that could support our stand on sexual harassment. We don't have any legal precedents here so I really would value any assistance for any of you. If you know of lawyers who are involved in such cases, perhaps they can provide cases which would help. But even if you know of organisations invovled in agitating for sexual harassment laws or awareness-raising, this would also be helpful.

I do hope I will hear from some of you.

Warm regards to all.
Naina