66 j RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
There was need for other Departments to coordinate better with the Social
Welfare Department of NCT Delhi and with the State Social Welfare
Departments for the rehabilitation of rescued women and children. This would
help in checking inter-state and inter-country trafficking across borders.
There was need for better networking and coordination within the country
between the Police Stations of different States/UTs to combat trafficking.
It was stressed, that emphasis should be given to rehabilitation per se.
Meaningful steps should be taken by the Government as well as by NGOs
workingin the field to arrange the repatriation of victims, their re-acceptance by
their families, and their gradual re-entry into the life of their communities.
It was observed that the owners of Kothas and pimps were often able to get bail
and fi*ee themselves with the connivance of law-enforcing agencies. It was
proposed that there was need to examine whether provisions of the Bonded
Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976; Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation
of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 and the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 could be invoked to
stall bail applications.
B] Combating Sexual Harassment
of Women at the Work Place
7.4 During the course of the year under review, the Commission continued to work
on the issue of sexual harassment at the work place. It will be recalled that, in its
preceding report, the Commission had drawn attention to the guidelines issued by the
Supreme Court in its landmark judgement in the case Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan,
1997 (6) see 241 and observed that these guidelines were not being implemented
adequately either in the public sector or in the private sector. The Commission had
also reported on the decisions taken in a meeting convened under the Chairmanship
of lustice Smt. Sujata V Manohar on 1 March 2001 where the precise role of the
Complaints Committee and other pertinent matters arising out of that judgement
were elucidated and explained.
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION