𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝘃𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗮𝗷𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 (𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟮)
In 1992, after the gang rape of social worker Bhanwari Devi in Rajasthan and the subsequent acquittal of the attackers due to a lack of evidence, the Vishaka group filed a PIL in India’s Supreme Court. This case spotlighted the absence of laws against workplace sexual harassment, potentially violating women’s fundamental rights.
In the 1997 judgment, the Supreme Court recognized this gap as a violation of women’s rights under the Indian Constitution (Articles 14, 15, and 21) and defined workplace sexual harassment. They introduced “Vishaka Guidelines” that require employers to establish anti-harassment policies, women-led complaint committees, and impartial inquiries.
This case laid the foundation for addressing workplace sexual harassment in India, leading to the 2013 Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.
Citation: AIR 1997 SC 3011
𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦.
