Sexual harassment complaints can be lodged to the Ombudsperson Punjab :Dr Mira Phailbus

Lahore: The Ombudsperson Punjab, Professor Dr. Mira Phailbus has said that the Harassment Awareness Volunteer Program (HAVP), a special initiative of Government of the Punjab, which was successfully launched in the first week of November starting with Layyah, and since then has covered the districts Muzaffargarh and Okara. Now this campaign is going to be launched in Vehari from the last week of December and will then onwards to comparatively less developed districts of Southern Punjab. This initiative would achieve the workplace and encourage them to contribute towards economic prosperity of their families as well as national development.

The protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010, as amended in 2012 by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab took effect in early 2013 and Prof. Dr. Mira Phailbus was appointed as first Ombudsperson, Punjab. The Act provides convenient and simple legal mechanism for protection of women against all kinds of sexual harassment at workplace, in both public and private sectors. Under the Act, Enquiry and Redressal committees have been constituted in all public and private sector organizations including all provincial and district Government departments, their field establishment as well as banks and financial institutions, chamber of commerce & industry, colleges, universities, hospitals etc. in public and private sector in all districts of the Punjab. All these organization are bound under the Act to comply with the provision s of the code of conduct under the act and also display the same at prominent places for awareness of the employees. Furthermore, sexual harassment complaints can also be lodged directly to the Ombudsperson Punjab in her Lahore office situated at Aiwan-e-Iqbal Complex, Egerton Road, Lahore, Ombudsperson, Punjab is also Appellate Authority in case of decisions made by the inquiry committees. However, in case of decision made by the Ombudsperson on direct complaints lodged to her, Governor Punjab is the Appellate Authority.