The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will be organising counseling sessions for students on sexual harassment from January 17. These sessions, to be held by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the University, will aim to create awareness among female students on how they can avoid sexual harassment by drawing a tangible line between them and their male friends. The students, during these sessions, will also learn about what consists of sexual harassment and the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ that they need to follow.
“Girls (are) supposed to know how to draw a tangible line (between them and their male friends) to avoid any such harassments (sic)”, said an announcement on the website of Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The first session is scheduled for January 17 and it aims “to make the students (both boys and girls) aware about what consists of sexual harassment”. The ICC further announcement further mentioned that such counseling was held during the orientation program but students “need to refresh their knowledge about the same”.
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It also added that such sessions would let the students know about sexual harassment and what what could be the prospective repercussions if anyone found guilty of sexual harassment. The ICC announcement also stated: “ICC (has) come across a number of cases where sexual harassment takes place among close friends. Boys generally cross (sometimes advertently, sometimes inadvertently) the thin line between friendship’s bantering and sexual harassment". The ICC further said that through this counselling session, number of sexual harassment cases will be reduced for sure and it would vanish any confusion related to sexual harassment.
For this session, the ICC has generated an online Google form and said that the session will commence if the ICC gets 20 or more forms from the students who are interested.
“We get several complaints where sexual harassment cases take place between men and women who are close friends. They touch each other, hug each other. But the moment women feel that they don’t feel comfortable about this, they should state this clearly to their male friend. Till the time they don’t speak, and if they keep it to themselves, then it doesn’t work. If he continues to do it despite being told, then the ICC is there,” ICC Presiding Officer Punam Kumari told The Indian Express:
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“It is important for both boys and girls to know where the line has to be drawn… Girls also need to say it before the matter goes out of hand if they don’t like (being touched or hugged). These things have to be conveyed clearly. Otherwise how will the person know what you want? These are small things which we will tell them about along with all the rules and regulations of ICC,” she added.
