Crossing the Vishaka bar

In 1997, the Supreme Court broke new ground for women’s rights by setting out explicit guidelines requiring organisations to set up sexual harassment complaints committees. In 2013, these guidelines, known as the Vishaka guidelines, morphed into an Act that virtually replicated those rules with some modified definitions and procedures. In 2019, the apex court appears to be setting new trends in handling sexual harassment complaints in the workplace — and little of it is reassuring for working women.

As a beacon for tackling the vexed question of sexual harassment complaints against powerful organisational heads, the Supreme Court also holds out dim