Committee for Managing Gender Issues (CMGI)

Objectives of CMGI

  • To provide a harassment-free environment to all women working or studying in the Institute along the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
  • To provide bias-free culture for all women working or studying in the Institute.
  • To ensure that the policies and processes in the Institute do not discriminate against women and recommend changes where necessary.
  • To make this campus safe for women living, working, studying, and/or visiting the campus.
  • To prevent sexual harassment through gender sensitisation of men and women employees and students.
  • To address complaints of sexual harassment in a time bound manner, providing support to the complainant.


 

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

Sexual harassment infringes on the following two fundamental rights provided by the Constitution of India: One is the right of a woman to gender equality under Article 14 and the other is the woman's right to life and live with dignity under Article 21.

In a landmark judgement in the Case of Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan and others (AIR, 1997 SC 3011) Supreme Court provided clear guidelines for dealing with sexual harassment in 1997. These guidelines which are legally binding and must be enforced include definition of sexual harassment at the workplace, prevention of such harassment, disciplinary action against the erring employee, and employer's responsibility in ensuring a harassment-free workplace.

The Committee for Managing Gender Issues has been set up as the Internal Complaints Committee that the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad was required to set up as per the Supreme Court Guidelines. This would normally limit its outcomes to resolution, settlement, or prosecution. However, CMGI was set up not only to deal with complaints of sexual harassment of women in the workplace but also to focus on creating awareness, counselling and educating about gender issues. For example, specific components of induction programmes were formally introduced and are based on creating awareness and informing students about the Institute's framework for dealing with such issues. In addition, gender sensitisation workshops for staff and students are also conducted.

COMPOSITION

CMGI shall have a membership of five to seven persons, of which at least half the members shall be women.

  1. Chairperson of the Committee will be a woman faculty member.
  2. At least two faculty members (at least one woman) to be members of the committee.
  3. One to two external members (both women).
  4. Warden is the ex-officio member.

 

Documents

  1. Handbook on Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
  2. The  Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013
  3. IIMA-CMGI Guidelines
  4. CMGI Members

 

Staging Enabled