'Sexual harassment at work on rise'

The incidences of sexual harassment of women at work place has been on the rise in India over the last four years, statistics with the government indicate.

Uttar Pradesh has earned a dubious distinction with the State recording the highest number of such cases each year since 2015.

While a total of 522 complaints of sexual harassment of women at workplace was registered in the country in 2015, the number of such cases went up to reach 539 in 2016 and 570 in 2017.

Till July this year, a total of 533 complaints were registered across the country, according to data compiled by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry.

Uttar Pradesh topped the country as a total of 231 complaints of sexual harassment was filed by working women in the State till July this year.

The State witnessed filing of as many as 120 complaints of sexual harassment by working women in 2015, 129 in 2016 and 147 in 2017.

Delhi grabbed the second position in the country with the national capital witnessing the filing of a total of 314 complaints of sexual harassment since 2015.

Though, the data indicates a significant decline in the number of complaints filed in last four years in Delhi, the cases of sexual harassment of working women in the national capital region still remains on the higher compared to other States in the country.

As many as 55 complaints were filed by working women in Delhi till July this year while the number of such complaints reached 77 in 2017, 82 in 2016, 100 in 2015.

Delhi was followed by neighbouring Haryana with filing as many as 37 complaints of sexual harassment of working women in the State till July this year. The State witnessed filing of a total of 33 complaints in 2015, 30 in 2016 and 39 in 2017.

Karnataka was also not too far from these States so far as complaints of sexual harrasment of women at workplace is concerned.

While the State witnessed filing of a total of 21 complaints in 2015, the number of such complaints went up to reach 22 in 2016 and 38 in 2017. Till July 2018, Karnataka registered a total of 14 complaints of sexual harassment of working women in the State.

The fate of these complaints was not known as there is no database on the outcome of such complaints is maintained by the central government.