Women across all ages, regions, religions, classes and political affiliations are vulnerable. Their safety is neither guaranteed in public spheres, nor at home. Women have been the subject of trauma, harassment and victimization. Sexual harassment at workplace is not new to a majority of working women around the world who face it in some form or the other. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the implementation and enforcement of international laws relating to women’s rights in India. Finally, it discusses the various recommendations made by human rights scholars and calls for a campaign from government, NGOs and people, to eradicate all kinds of violence and discrimination against women and to make them a part of the nation building process.

In ancient India, women held a high place of respect in the society as mentioned in the Rigveda and other scriptures. Volumes can be written about the status of our women and their heroic deeds right from the Vedic period to modern times. But later on, because of social, political and economic changes, women lost their status and were relegated to the background. Many evil customs and traditions stepped in which enslaved the women and tied them to the boundaries of the house.1 The official statistics showed a declining sex ratio, health status, literacy rate, work participation rate and political participation among women. While on the other hand, the spread of social evils like dowry deaths, child marriage, domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment and exploitation of women workers are rampant in different parts of India.2 A number of measures have been taken to combat violence against women, but these efforts have not succeeded and crimes are still maintaining their upward trend.3 Though women are worshipped as goddesses in India, on the other hand, they are also objects of torture and harassment.4 Due to industrialization, globalization and development in various fields, the role of women is changing rapidly in India. This has inevitably resulted in an increase in the number of working women. Unfortunately, many women now have to work under the most disadvantageous service conditions and in certain establishments are the victims of sexual harassment and violence.

Law Review Journal, Protection, Sexual Harassment, Protective Measures for Women, National and International Perspectives, Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).