2 years, 10 months ago-
Is the adoption of an all female staff really a constructive method towards preventing sexual harassment of female students?
A number of schools and institutions around us are either all-girls, all-boys or co-educational, meaning for girls and boys both. The proposition here asks whether the adoption of an all-female staff can really act as a constructive method towards preventing sexual harassment of female students. Well, I do not believe this can really act as an effective method or initiative. It’s not that, other places where men are free to roam, will not experience sexual harassment or molestation with girls. Also, it is very uncommon and is not heard very often but is very likely that female staff can sexually harass female students too. In mostly missionary schools where nuns and sisters are commonly heard of, certain extremely shocking and sad incidents have taken place. It was heard of, how nuns who are supposedly free from any sexual contact with anyone around them, made female students do things which are absolutely unethical and wrong. Such sexual acts that nuns made their students do, haunt those women till date. At times, one does not understand how things happen, but they keep on taking you in the wrong direction and there’s nothing that you can do about it.
Multiple investigations have taken place on the same, in which the students who were victims of this sexual abuse forced by nuns, refused to give statements against the nuns. They were taught that it was something pure and full of righteousness and honesty. This is the saddest part. Another thing is that, adoption of an all-female staff will make girls get so used to staying around women, that once they graduate from school and come out in the world, they will feel absolutely uncomfortable and awkward while having men around. They will not be able to handle doing tasks with male colleagues in workspaces or also take lessons with male students in colleges and universities. The real struggles of life begin after school-life ends. Hence, we must prepare girls in their school years to take over the world when it comes to them, rather than taking a step back and pushing them into the darkness of comfort amongst only female members of the school staff.
A woman myself,
Shubhangini ShaktawatIS THE ADOPTION OF AN ALL-FEMALE STAFF REALLY A CONSTRUCTIVE METHOD TOWARDS PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF FEMALE STUDENTS?
Sexual harassment can happen with any woman at any place because harassment is an unforeseen circumstance and unavoidable if it happens instantly. Women can be harassed at any place be it school, college, workplace, or at any family gathering. Still, in so modern era these old age issue prevails in society.
But can all-female staff a constructive method towards preventing sexual harassment? No, because there is no said thing that female is only harassed by male, yes there are more cases of males harassing, but there are also cases where we see a female has assaulted other female. Harassment and violence happen in a place where there are all females like girl’s hostels and also a place where there are both male and female, but adopting an all-female staff can’t be the only preventive measure, because it will not promote any good cause, nor there is assurance that after adopting changes would be there in issues.
If we adopt this, women will get used to the environment of all women surrounding and then they will not like or can’t adopt a place where there are men’s and their mindset will change on treating men’s differently. If we really want to prevent sexual harassment and violence’s then we should adopt a policy that makes women feel safe whether they are alone or with anyone.Ok, first let us check if we actually know what a sexual harassment is? Yes, obviously we all know and 90% of girls have experienced it. But do we know that correct definition? No, most of us don’t.
Sexual harassment is a behavior of making wrong perception of someone’s sexuality, a manifestation of power towards the weaker. So, I guess it’s clear to all that there’s nothing written like women are the only sufferers here. While we’re talking about sexual harassment, we should keep it mind that it’s like another mental illness or a product of stereotypical mindset. Rate of female harassment and their examples are in such a huge number, that we confused sexual harassment as a part of women exploitation, caused by men. Which is not true at all. Somewhere at some point, men are also getting harrased by men and women themselves. So by setting female staff, it’ll be just another discrimination and another good chance for a ill-mental female to abuse a male student.
On the other side, if we talk about female abuse,unconsciously we decide the sinner as men, not judging the actual circumstances of a female harming another sexually. It’s often seen in typically high schools , girls hostels or the most prestigious Christian missionaries, girls are getting sexually assaulted in a heinous manner. Some seniors , ragging a junior and crossed their line, made abusive video, made them do some abusive jobs, caused that junior a mental injury . It’s even true for those only female accommodation or girls school where no boys are allowed. So as you can see, it’s not only the boys who are the cause. Even if we deliberate the cause, we can see the mental breakdown causing by sexual harassment have a long due list of being treated down by women themselves.
So, basically we should get over the fact that men are dangerous. No, they aren’t. If there’s anything dangerous which is leading to continue sexual harassment in our society, it’s that typical mindset, because of which we consider a woman to be dishonored, only because she’s abused sexually.
In another sides, school must teach the gender equality whether it’s for boys or girls. Having only female stuffs will increase the severity among women that they are inferior. We should let our children go free among the human. We want a world without these assaults, not a region preplanned to be safe.Female has to face lot of things in their life. And sexual harassment is a worst thing they face ever in their life. Most of the teenage girl become the target of sexual harassment during their school days by their teacher, principal, bus driver ,whom did trust the most. But it doesn’t mean that the adaptation of all female staff really conservative method towards preventing sexual harassment of female student. This is not this cannot be considered as a effective way to protect women from the sexual harassment. Because girl does not face that in this school only they can came across it anywhere . In their home ,during travelling, in the office ,college , family function anywhere. Can’t prevent them going out . Or if in case we restrict girl going out, at attending festival, continuing their studies but ,how can we protect them in their home only. So this proposer can not be the effective way to prevent this situation.
Instead of that we should try to create awareness among the society, among the male society who considered themselves superior and women weak , that each and every woman deserve respect , equality , justice and there are no one take such a horrible and worst step towards women. Even through, having a male and female teacher, a girl can overcome the hesitation, increase their confidence level and can be become more strong to face such situation .
We should try to teach each and every girl and women Self defence ,increase the confidence and make them aware about their rights. How to take stand for themselves, for their right and for their justice and if in life they or any of their friend came across this kind of situation, then how can they handle that, what can be the effective measure and step they should take at that point of time and how to deal the situation and after overcoming that situation, what step you should take.
And we should also make the male section of the society aware about the punishment and what steps can be taken against them , if they even try to take such kind of Step ever in their life .No, adoption of an all female staff is never a constructive method towards preventing sexual harassment of female students because that would not remove the barrier between the genders that have been created by the society, that would toughen the task of equality among the people.
Although the problem of sexual harassment is not only the problem at workplace, women today are unsafe everywhere including the streets,in their houses too.
The problem persists among the criminals who attempt this destruction to our society’s women, the solution to the problem is by changing their mindsets, providing a stricter judicial system.
Women do not need a conservative environment for their protection but a healthy, supportive environment for their well being.
The scenario today explains that women can’t trust anybody, not even their own family for their safety. To create a better place for women, people need to stand hand in hand and change their mindsets and support women and create a world they can trust.While it surely is a solution that we can explore in order to eliminate the problem of sexual harassment in the work places but adopting an all female staff does not seem to be a perfect solution. There are many other aspects to the problem that we need to look after. Only then we will be able to completely eliminate the problem of sexual harassment.
The majority of the problem, associated with the toxic workplace for women, lies in the fact that they have to work in the male dominated work environment, which puts our women at a great disadvantage. But this can happen in an all female working environment too. One can have a female alpha boss too where she can be equally dominating to her work employees and make their life hell. With the growing awareness of the LGBT and ever decreasing binary gender, it can be possible that an all female working environment cannot guarantee that a woman will not face any sort of sexual harassment in that scenario too. Also by completely eliminating males for a working environment will also eliminate talent and capable mindsets, that will not be able to join the workforce just because of the gender. This can also call upon the ire of article 14 of our constitution.
The idea of having a complete female working environment to reduce office sexual harassment is not a bad one, but it is not perfect too. The real solution lies in the fact that women needs to be empowered through education and training, so that they do not rely completely on the patriarchal set up of our society. Workplace related guidelines as held in the landmark judgements like Vishakha vs state should be given importance.I don’t think adoption of female staff is not the fully right solution because females had to go outside and who said that most of the wrong thing female also do with other female and this will just prove that female are fearing from males, it is not even possible that men are everywhere just because some wrong men we should stop adopting men staff. Then it shows we are biased towards men. There should be equal staff both and female. And there should be a separate committee for female safety if any girl should go through any wrong thing she immediately conversation with that committee. College and association can keep special training for students and employees. There are many methods which company and institution adopt. Women need to show boldness and a strong personality. People need to understand women are not the weaker sex, but equal. The institution and company should promote gender neutrality in classrooms and at the workplace so people instead of adopting female staff. There are a lot of women who are who gets torture by other women. Institutions should adopt certain protocols and special policies for women. Make all people aware of what will be consequences of this assaulting female. I think this is an injustice towards women that they are not capable of protecting themselves and also they are unable to stand equally in front of men. Also, some men can take the wrong assumption of this thought that they are stronger than women and contribute more towards society and this changes the whole thought process of society will change that women are more secure in only female staff adoption.
Adoption of female staff is really not the solution to stop sexual harassment. In school and colleges by having only female staff that doesn’t mean students are safe and will not face any kind of problems or sexual harassment. Female staff is also not fully safe for students their are still female who beat students and give them mental torture. Firstly we need to understand that adoption of female staff is not the solution rather than we need to help such students who are going through sexual harassment by any of male or female staff. To stop sexual harassment of female students we need to find solution that how can she protect herself while going through sexual harassment. Female students should get self-defense training from school onwards so that atleast she can protect herself by not getting victim of sexual harassment. And school and college must see to that teachers are well educated and have good background towards childrens so that in some percent their will less fear of female students getting victims of sexual harassment. And their should be cctv cameras at each place in school and college so that we can help her to not get victim of sexual harassment. These solution may help to stop sexual harassment through which female students are going through. But adoption of female staff and stop having male staff that is not solution. Someday this female has to face with all the situation when they will work at different places for job then everywhere we don’t have policy to stop male staff. Rather than we need to have permanent solution for female students by giving them security and by having their own power like learning self-defense it will definitely help female students. Self-defense will not only help them in school and college but in future also while travelling to different places for job they can protect herself.
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