Maneka urges Air India to make its workplaces secure for women

Union minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi has requested Air India (AI) to sensitize its male employees so that the women employees do not feel threatened or insecure in any manner.

Gandhi's reaction came after she reviewed the progress of cases of sexual harassment in Air India.

In May this year, an Air India employee wrote to Union Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu alleging sexual harassment by a senior executive. Later, Gandhi also stepped in and asked the AI head of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to complete the inquiry.

The minister also met officials from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Civil Aviation Ministry and the airline's CMD, and urged the staff of various airlines, both public and private, to remain sensitive to the dignity of women colleagues.

The Ministry further added that many more cases of sexual harassment pertaining to private airlines too have emerged which have been forwarded to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

"Along with the cases of sexual harassment, some women employees also tend to file complaints of administrative nature under the garb of sexual harassment. It is important for the ICC to very quickly dispose of these cases," Gandhi said.