Is It Too Much to Expect Basic Safety Standards for Women in the Workplace?

There was a time when women had to fight just to ensure their unborn daughters could be born. 

There was a time when they had to battle for their right to be employed. Women fought for equality, for a seat at the table, for fair pay, and for equal opportunities. They faced countless struggles for promotions, recognition, and respect in the workplace.

Yet today, our present is no better. 

The case of a 31-year-old doctor, who, after a grueling 36-hour night shift, sought rest in her medical college only to be brutally assaulted and found dead the next day, starkly reveals the inadequacies of our systems. 

She found refuge in a seminar hall devoid of basic safety measures like a CCTV camera, and a civic volunteer, who was not an employee, had unrestricted access to every department of the medical college who was found responsible by the police for committing this heinous crime. 

We must ask: Why was there no CCTV camera in a seminar hall? Why was a non-employee granted such access?

Why is it so difficult to establish safe environments for women in the workplace? Why is progress so painfully slow when it comes to ensuring the safety of the daughters of the nation? 

The horrific statistics on crimes against women underscore the perilous conditions they face daily. 

Recent incidents, such as the alleged sexual harassment faced by female wrestlers in India and the horrific rape cases involving women using cabs, underscore the failure of internal complaint mechanisms and the urgent need for adherence to Vishaka guidelines on harassment reporting.

A closer look at the broader scenario reveals a harsh reality: stringent laws alone cannot solve this issue. In India, 75% of doctors have faced some form of violence within hospitals, a trend that persisted in 2018 and 2019, and in 2023, a doctor was attacked with a screwdriver. These aren’t just statistics; they represent a systemic failure within our healthcare system.

We, the taxpayers, fund these hospitals. We expect them to provide adequate health facilities for the poor. Yet, we see the deplorable state of government hospitals and medical colleges, with no proper arrangements for doctors. 

We question their decision to seek better opportunities abroad, overlooking the severe mismanagement they face here.

What is needed is more than just strict laws; it requires a moral overhaul through education and awareness. 

While strong laws are essential, they alone are insufficient, as demonstrated by their current ineffectiveness in delivering justice and appropriate punishment.

A bill meant to ensure a safer work environment for doctors was supposed to be passed by the Ministry of Health, but its absence to this date highlights a crucial failure in prioritizing the safety of our healthcare professionals.

Something we must ask ourselves..

Do we, the people of this country, not deserve better? Do women, after countless centuries of mistreatment, not deserve the basic right to a safe environment in the 21st century?

The sobering conclusion from all the evidence and ongoing issues is a painful truth: A woman is only safe from sexual harassment as long as she is yet unborn.

We must face this stark truth and insist on the safety and respect women unequivocally deserve.

Now is the moment for change.