Calcutta High Court Orders West Bengal to Establish Review Team for Women's Workplace Safety
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Synopsis
On February 13, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to create a review team focused on ensuring the safety of women at the workplace, particularly for those working night shifts, in the wake of a tragic incident involving a junior doctor.
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta High Court mandates a review team for women's safety.
- The team will focus on women working night shifts.
- Initiative follows a tragic incident at a medical college.
- Review team to assess current safety measures.
- Government's previous notification faced criticism.
Kolkata, Feb 13 (NationPress) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, mandated the West Bengal government to establish a “review team” focusing on the safety of women in the workplace, particularly those working night shifts.
The bench, led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak, issued this directive following a public interest litigation in response to the horrifying rape and murder of a female junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last year.
The petitioners highlighted concerns specifically within the Information Technology sector, where many women are required to work around the clock, including night shifts.
In light of this petition, the division bench instructed the state Home Department to assemble a “review team” to assess workplace safety for women, with a particular focus on those on night duty.
The bench also called upon the state Home Department to draft a notice regarding the proposed “review team” and urged the state home secretary to take action.
The “review team” will be tasked with evaluating current safety protocols, identifying deficiencies, and recommending improvements in these areas.
Notably, the tragic incident at R.G. Kar occurred on the night of August 9 last year while the victim was on duty. Following this incident, the state government issued a 17-point notification aimed at enhancing the safety of women in the workplace.
However, this notification suggested minimizing night shifts for women whenever possible, a recommendation that faced significant backlash from various sectors of society, including criticism from the Supreme Court.
