On the 7th of June, 2024, Ms. Renuka Mukadam, a renowned advocate for women's rights hosted an impactful and interactive session on Gender Sensitization. This event was designed for the batch of 2024-26, addressing the prevention of sexual harassment in both academic and professional settings.

Ms Mukadam began by explaining what constitutes sexual harassment while checking the understanding of the students on the matter. She described four forms of sexual harassment and gave real-life scenarios to deepen our understanding of this critical issue. The dynamics of gender and power were explained and how abuse of power was a common thread underlying these incidents.

In recent years, Ms. Mukadam pointed out that digital and verbal forms of harassment cases are rising. She stressed the fact that understanding the context in such cases is very important in assessing these situations accurately. One of the key insights she shared was that, in the eyes of the law, the impact of an act is assessed rather than the intent.

In this session, she elaborated on the difference between flirting and harassment, while drawing a clear line between the two. She provided a nuanced perspective while also cautioning us to manage our expectations and not to get influenced by the movies. Ms. Mukadam then concluded by informing us about the various policies, guidelines, and tools in place to protect students, such as the UGC guidelines, the Internal Committee (IC), and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

This session has undoubtedly provided us with a deeper understanding about the nuances of sexual harassment while equipping us with the knowledge and tools to recognize, address, and prevent sexual harassment. This will help us in creating a more safe, supportive and respectful community at SCMHRD and beyond.