Ombudsperson Punjab Rukhsana Gillani has penalized two headmasters of government schools and a senior officer of Rescue 1122 on charges of sexual harassment at work place. An official spokesman said that the awarded punishment would go a long way to curb the menace of sexual harassment in sacred organizations like educational institutions. Teachers will now face such traumatic circumstances with courage and a firm belief that their grievances would be redressed in a shortest possible time.
According to details, Ombudsperson Punjab decided a complaint of harassment at workplace against a Headmaster of Special Education Center and awarded penalty of removal from service to him. A lady teacher in her complaint of harassment had alleged that the Headmaster had been harassing her since she was appointed in the Special Education Center. The Headmaster whenever would come across her, uttered filthy verses, tried to hold her hand, gave unethical gestures. When the Headmaster realized his failure in his negative designs, he tried to initiate departmental inquiries against her. The lady teacher lodged complaint of sexual harassment against the Headmaster.
Ombudsperson took immediate notice and after hearing the parties' versions at length, found the Headmaster guilty of sexual harassment and awarded penalty of removal from service to him. In another case a regular lady teacher of a Govt. school lodged a complaint of sexual harassment at workplace against an influential Headmaster of the same school. The allegations of harassment were proved and the harasser was imposed upon penalty of stoppage of annual increment for a period of five years.
In the third case Ombudsperson Punjab Rukhsana Gillani conducted a detailed inquiry on a complaint of harassment at workplace lodged against a senior officer of Rescue 1122. Complainant alleged in her complaint that the said officer has been harassing her since a long time by asking for sexual favor verbally as well as through text messages. Ombudsperson Punjab finding the officer proven to be guilty of harassment at workplace awarded penalty of Removal from Service to him.
The Ombudsperson remarked that majority of females despite having high qualifications, confined themselves to their homes just because of fear of harassment, some of those women who participate in workforce, become prey of menace of harassment which either results in losing their employment or pressure from their families to stay at home.