A workshop to sensitize and orient about 'Gender-based violence and harassment at workplace' was organized today at the NTNC Central Office through the support of USAID funded Hariyo Ban Program. As an internal exercise, the workshop was targeted specifically to NTNC employees with the objective of discussing and learning about gender-specific sensibilities and about various legal provisions in place, together with probing for future interventions that help create a more GESI-friendly workplace environment at NTNC.
A presentation session by Ms Anita Bindu (Resource person and facilitator) highlighted the nature and complexity surrounding violence and harassment. Existing laws and safeguards at the national level to deal with protection from violence and harassment were made known along with mechanisms for addressing them. Discussing examples and experiences from outside of NTNC's context, the workshop also took to understand from participants potential gaps and areas for improving NTNC's gender impact.
Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) is of top priority at NTNC where currently it is recognized as a standalone cross-cutting thematic area under NTNC's overall programme focus. To discourage and deal with potential violations, presently NTNC has its own GESI Policy and Action Plan as well as a group of GESI Champions—whose members also comprise of persons from NTNC's top management. In the past few months, similar GESI programmes have been targeted to park staffs and community forest groups, security personnel and media persons as part of a campaign to strengthen gender empowerment roles and responsiveness for an all-progressive and inclusive future.
