Reorienting our Employees on the PoSH Act

Our two-part training programme aimed to educate employees on creating a safe working environment

On October 21, 2024, we conducted our annual PoSH sensitization training at the Mansarovar Training Centre, tailored for both our employees and committee members. Led by Dr. Kamaxi Bhate—a distinguished faculty member from KEM Hospital and committed PoSH advocate—the workshop addressed the importance of the PoSH Act, Vishaka guidelines, and the women’s safety protocols at Navnirmiti Eduquality Foundation. Dr. Kamaxi Bhate has worked relentlessly towards the improvement of health of children and women and started the Savitribai Phule Gender Resource Centre for BMC. She has also authored several books on healthcare and medicine.

• Part I – Training for Employees

We were pleased with the overwhelming response of our employees and their active participation in the training workshop. The training covered:

• The importance of the PoSH Act
• The Vishaka guidelines and the Bhanvari Devi case. (The Vishaka guidelines are aimed at addressing sexual harassment in workplaces)
• Identification of different forms of sexual harassment
• Steps taken by Navnirmiti Eduquality Foundation for ensuring a safe work environment (details about the PoSH committee and process to report any sexual misconduct)

• Part II: Part I – Training for Committee Members

The training for the Internal Committee members was aimed at understanding the Act and educating team members on the guidelines for the redressal of any incidents of sexual misconduct. Members were also coached on their responsibilities for resolving such complaints, the procedure for inquiry, the method of handling the cases with sensitivity and confidentiality and the need to create awareness about the Act across the organisation through various channels of communication.

The objective of our annual PoSH training is to reorient committee members and employees to the PoSH Act and the guidelines and procedures associated with it. A copy of this policy is always available in the office for employees to refer at any time. Committee Meetings are held four times a year and an Annual Report of the PoSH Committee is submitted to the Employer and District Officer each year by 31 January.

• PoSH Committee Members at Navnirmiti Eduquality Foundation:

• Mr. Raja Francis Nadar – Head of the Production and Marketing Department.
• Ms. Pooja Kabre – Lead member for Foundational literacy and numeracy program (FLN) and Community Library program.
• Ms. Sonal Shinde – Warehouse in charge of managing the warehouse and the women’s team at our production unit.
• Ms. Shivangi Mahajan – Organizational Development.