RAWALPINDI, July 17: Devising and implementing a code of conduct for gender justice at workplace was vital for encouraging women to come out of their houses and earn a living for themselves.

These views were expressed by the participants of a workshop on “Code of Conduct for Gender Justice at Workplace” here on Thursday. The workshop was organised by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) in collaboration with the Working Women Organisation (WWO).

The workshop discussed the harassment issue from various perspectives ranging from the definition of the phenomenon to the state of its victims as well as the roles of individual, society and government to solve the problem permanently.

Rubina Jamil, representative of the WWO, said majority of the people denied existance of sexual harassment at workplace. Unfortunately, she added, none of the governmental or non-governmental/commercial organisations in the country had any well-implemented code of conduct.

She said sexual harassment brought horrible emotional and physical consequences for the victims. Feeling of revulsion, guilt, self-blame, violation of their rights and identity, disgust, shock, anger and powerlessness, emotional trauma, anxiety, nervousness, depression and low self-esteem were to name but a few from the emotional consequences. The physical negative effects included marks on the body from being beaten, sleeplessness, lack of concentration, headaches and physical weakness, she added.

She also highlighted the miseries of the women working as labourers in more than 10,000 brick kilns of Punjab province and the cases of violence, rape and even gangrape by the owners and the contractors of these brick kilns in their respective areas.