Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir joins hands with FOSPAH to eradicate Harassment at the Workplace
FOSPAH in collaboration with Bank AJK organized two training sessions for eighty employees of the Bank at the Kashmir Institute of Management, Muzaffarabad. The participants included Branch and Area Managers, HR Representatives and members of the IT Wing. The training sessions were chaired by Ms. Mahrukh Aziz Tarar (Advisor Legal FOSPAH) and Mr. Waqar Ahmad (Assistant Registrar FOSPAH). The sessions elaborated upon the provisions of the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 with the Divisional HR Head of Bank AJK, Ms. Raheela Javed expressing her full commitment to providing a harassment free workplace at Bank AJK. She also assured that the Inquiry Committee at the Bank will apply the expanded definition of harassment, including gender-based discrimination, to complaints of harassment and will maintain high standards of confidentiality to protect the privacy of all parties. During the sessions it came to light that the Harassment Act of AJK does not provide for the Office of the Ombudsperson to decide complaints of harassment. The participants agreed that there is an urgent need for the Office of the Ombudsperson in AJK to ensure swift justice to complainants and to avoid the expenses and gender insensitive environment plaguing the judicial system. Speaking at the end of the training sessions, Ms. Raheela thanked the team of FOSPAH for their support and expressed the Bank’s commitment to continuing the training sessions at intervals of six months.