JOIN USDrives to make City safe for working women
The Departments of IT, BT, Labour and Police will come together to create awareness programmes for the safety of women employees, especially of those working in nightshifts.
In the wake of rising crimes against women, various activities will be taken up to encourage employers to comply with safety measures.
Speaking with Deccan Herald, Labour Commissioner D S Vishwanath said a team of officials from all the three departments would take part in the awareness drives. “I have appointed some officials from my department and likewise from the other departments for the purpose. We will fan out to different areas. We are already conducting awareness programmes in other sectors. We have now extended this to the IT sector also.”
According to recent statistics available with National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), there are 1.2 million women IT employees in the country, of which, 9.4 to 9.6 lakh are in Karnataka. Among these, it is estimated that 34 to 36 per cent are working in Bengaluru (about 3.45 lakh). In recent circulars hosted on both the IT, BT and the Labour department websites, the commissioners of the respective departments have brought to the notice of the IT/ITes and BPO companies and their associations that several companies have failed to comply with the safety measures for women employees.
As per the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Acts and Rules, IT and other knowledge-based companies are allowed to employ women as long as prior permission is obtained from the competent authority.
V Manjula, Commissioner, IT, BT Department said that companies were given permission to employ women employees in nightshift slots only after they give details of the transport and security measures that are in place. “New companies and startups need to be told about this,” she added.
Ashok Pamidi, Regional Head, Karnataka, Nasscom, told Deccan Herald that more awareness needed to be created and more than owners, it was the employees that need awareness.
“The employees must know the guidelines that are in place. An effective way to create this awareness is to make use of social media.”