New Delhi: While the government has assured a stronger anti-rape law, activists say a bill against sexual harassment at the workplace that has been passed by the Lok Sabha but is yet to be brought before the Rajya Sabha is “useless”.
In a discussion at Indian Women Press Corps here, women activists also said they had little hope that government will make the laws stronger in real terms. “We do not accept the present draft bill. It has a lot missing,” Indu Agnihotri, director, Centre for Women and Development Studies said. The activists said among the shortcomings of the bill, the main was making the sexual assault gender-neutral.
The government has formed a committee under former Supreme Court chief justice J S Verma to collect suggestions on need to change the rape related laws. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill was passed by Lok Sabha in 2012 but is pending with Rajya Sabha. IANS
