Vodafone Idea Foundation, Martha Farrell Foundation, and Sikkim Government Train Local Committees to Champion Workplace Safety and Gender Equality
Vodafone Idea Foundation’s MyAmbar Suraksha Chakra solution empowers women workers to report incidents of sexual harassment, seek support, and access information about their rights
A comprehensive workshop was recently conducted on the “Sexual Harassment of Women (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) at Workplace Act, 2013” at the Police Headquarters, Gangtok, Sikkim by Martha Farrell Foundation in collaboration with the Sikkim State Commission for Women. The event, supported by Vodafone Idea Foundation, aimed to strengthen workplace safety and foster awareness and compliance with the Act’s provisions for Local Committees. 23 Local Committee Members from all 6 districts of Sikkim attended the training and participated actively in understanding their roles and responsibilities under the Act.
The workshop also focused on bridging the gap between Local Committees and potential survivors, streamlining the process and reducing the time for filing complaints. These challenges have been particularly prevalent among women working in the informal sector.
As part of the workshop, MyAmbar Suraksha Chakra was introduced to the Local Committees. This innovative solution, developed in collaboration between Martha Farrell Foundation (Knowledge Partner) and Vodafone Idea Foundation (Design and Execution Partner), empowers women to report incidents of workplace sexual harassment and connects them to Local Committees for effectively addressing and managing their complaints.
In her keynote address, Ms. Chanda Maya Tamang, Member of the Sikkim State Commission for Women, welcomed all the participants and Resource Persons from MFF. She emphasized the importance of having a platform such as MyAmbar Suraksha Chakra for creating safe work environments for women and urged the LC Members to utilize the solution in days to come as it has been developed for their convenience.
Director of the Martha Farrell Foundation, Ms. Nandita Pradhan Bhatt, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaborative effort, stating, “Our longstanding partnership with the Government of Sikkim and Sikkim State Commission for Women has resulted in bringing about several structural changes to promote gender equality and safety in workplaces in the State. The Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act ensures safety and justice for all women workers through the creation of Internal and Local Committees. We believe that the MyAmbar Suraksha Chakra will play a pivotal role in furthering this partnership, providing agency to the survivors to report sexual harassment at workplace, and empower Local Committees to provide time-bound justice to the survivor.”
Sharing his views on the programme, P. Balaji, Director, Vi Foundation and Chief Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, VIL said “Vodafone Idea has been at the forefront of utilizing the transformative power of technology with ‘My Ambar Suraksha Chakra’ solution to create a safe community for women employed in the informal sector. Local Committees play an integral role in providing the first line of defence and redressal for these women workers experiencing discrimination at the workplace. It is extremely heartening to see the representatives from 6 Local Committees from across the state coming together for today’s training programme. Adoption of ‘My Ambar Suraksha Chakra’ within the communities is a step towards more and more women with a mechanism to ensure their own safety at the workplace.”
MyAmbar Suraksha Chakra is a user-friendly, bi-lingual platform designed to empower women workers. It enables them to easily report incidents of sexual harassment, seek support, and access information regarding their rights. The platform aims to promote gender equality and greater labour workforce participation of women in communities and informal organizations by preventing instances of workplace harassment. By leveraging technology, the platform empowers Local Committees to provide time-bound justice to women experiencing any sort of violence and help them overcome by reporting in an appropriate manner. The portal is designed to make women feel more confident and secure in their everyday lives
