‘Religious sites need Vishakha guidelines’

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has been moved seeking extension of “Vishakha guidelines’ relating to sexual harassment of women in work places, to religious institutions, including ‘ashrams’, ‘madrasas’ and Catholic institutions, to check the rampant rise in sexual exploitation of women.

Social activist Mahesh Pathak in his PIL submitted that Supreme Court in August 1997, in the ‘Vishakha case’, laid down 12 guidelines to be followed by employers to prevent or deter acts of sexual harassments against women. He said time has come to extend these guidelines to religious places also as they constitute part of workplace as many women are employed there.

The petition sought collection of data of such religious institutions where women practice and profess religion, for taking effective steps on the basis of the guidelines to provide assistance to the victims of sexual assaults.

“If the Vishakha Guidelines are extended to these religious institutions, it would assist a lot in reducing sexually related crimes against women at religious places by various religious gurus or leaders of that particular institution,” the petition said.

It also sought directions to the Centre to provide measures for women safety at religious places by conducting periodic checks from state women panels.

It also sought the Centre to direct the authorities concerned of the particular area, where such religious institutions are situated, to do the background verification religious leaders, especially “new upcoming Babas” or “heads of those madarsas” and churches. It also sought directions to the Centre to provide adequate measures for women safety at religious places by conducting periodic checks from state women panels.

The petitioner submitted that due to rampant rise of sexual exploitation related crimes against the women at the religious institutions like ashrams, madarsas or catholic institutions, it is imperative that the guidelines are made applicable to such places also.

He cited the recent issue of the State of Kerela priest involved in sexual harassment case or by the renowned   spiritual gurus like the Daati Maharaj, Baba Ram Rahim or Aasaram Bapu etc. who have lakhs of women too as followers in the incidents of rapes and the molestation or the sexual exploitation of the women and girls.

He said the women today are living and being in the fear of sexual exploitation before joining or indulging with any religious institutions like ashrams, madarsas or the catholic institutions to profess their religious activities. The Right to life and liberty and the Right to the freedom of expression along with the Right to Equality is a part of fundamental rights of every woman as per the Vishaka judgment.

The common minimum requirement of this right has received a global acceptance. Certain guidelines and norms in this regard laid down for the effective enforcement of the gender equality and guarantee against sexual exploitation, harassment and abuse prevalent against the women must be extended to religious places, he said and sought a direction in this regard.