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Sexual harassment is illegal, and is a violation of human rights.

The ruling of the Supreme Court on sexual harassment followed by enactment by Govt. of India. " The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013" as a violation of human rights is a recognition of this kind of harassment as systematic discrimination against women, rather than crime against individuals.

The Supreme Court has issued guidelines to prevent, as well as punish, perpetrators of sexual harassment, and has made it legally mandatory for employers to deploy measures for combating and redressing incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment defined :

According to the Vishaka guidelines of the Supreme Court, sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexually determined behavior such as:

· physical contact, gestures, or stalking

· a demand or request for sexual favours

· sexually oriented remarks

· showing pornography

· use of electronic media (phone, internet) for perpetrating offensive acts

· any other unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.

Recognizing sexual harassment :

Sexual harassment could be difficult to identify due to prevailing and pervasive myths such as

o decently dressed women are not sexually harassed,

o women who object to sexual harassment are over-reacting,

o women keep quiet when harassed because they like eve-teasing and

o sexist attitudes such as provocatively dressed women ask to be sexually harassed and have no right to complain.

The above instances are examples of further victimizing and traumatizing victims of sexual harassment.

Attempts to influence/intimidate by linking professional advancement with sexual favours, or creating a hostile work environment through (for instance) sexually coloured conversations, letters, telephone calls and text messages, or making demeaning comments about women's roles in society are all cases of sexual harassment.

In short, the definition of sexual harassment is broad enough to include all kinds of offensive, hostile, intimidating, humiliating and exploitative language, gestures and conduct.