NCW seeks I&B ministry's intervention in sexual harassment complaints at AIR

National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Thursday wrote to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, seeking its intervention into recent complaints of sexual harassment at the All India Radio (AIR).

The women's rights body also asked the ministry to submit a status report in one week.

The letter said several cases of alleged mishandling of sexual harassment complaints have been reported from different AIR stations in the wake of the recent #MeToo movement.

As part of this movement, scores of women have spoken out about sexual harassment at workplace.

Sharma said the commission has received a complaint from the "All India Radio Casual Announcer and Comperes Union alleging sexual harassment at workplace of casual announcers and comperes working in different stations of AIR throughout the country".

In the letter addressed to I&B secretary Amit Khare, Sharma asked for his "personal intervention" in the matter.

"I am bringing (this) to your notice for your personal intervention in the matter and to keep the commission apprised about the status report within 7 days of the receipt of the letter," she said.

The NCW chairman also wrote to Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi S Vempati and asked for a probe into the matter.

She also asked for an action taken report within 15 days.

Earlier on November 9, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi wrote to Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to ensure that a "sensitive and fair system" is put in place at the state-owned AIR to address the sexual harassment complaints.

Gandhi said a responsible organisation must provide justice to each and every woman who complains of sexual harassment.