Announcement for Public Hearing on Gender Based Violence at Workplace

A collective of individuals, independent groups and associations have come together to establish a platform for conducting a
Public Hearing aimed at addressing the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, harassment, and the systemic failures in
protecting vulnerable individuals in workplaces across West Bengal.

The Public Hearing will be convened in the wake of the distressing incident, of the rape and murder of a young trainee doctor
at R.G. Kar Medical College, which has cast a harsh spotlight on the vulnerabilities faced by women, queer, trans, and other
marginalized groups in the workplace. While this public hearing focuses on West Bengal, these incidents echo similar cases of
workplace violence across the country, underscoring the national urgency of addressing gender-based violence. In this public
hearing, the understanding of “work” and “workplace” will be expansive, covering both formal and informal workspaces, where
legal protections are minimal, and vulnerability is highest.

The key objectives of the public hearing will be to document instances of gender-based violence, evaluating legal and
institutional mechanisms, addressing socio-cultural barriers and formulating policy recommendations.
The public hearing will have a Committee of Experts drawn from eminent members of civil society, including retired judges and
bureaucrats, women/trans/queer rights activists, mental health professionals, disability rights activists, labour rights activists
and others, like former Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Justice Muralidhar, feminist historian Uma Chakravarti, mental health
professional Ratnaboli Ray, gender justice professional Anuradha Kapoor. Former judges like Justice Ruma Pal of Supreme Court,
Justice Prabha Sridevan of Madras High Court and former bureaucrats like Anita Agnihotri are advisors in this initiative.

We believe that the collective voices of survivors, witnesses, and stakeholders can drive systemic change and foster an
environment where all individuals are free from the threat of violence and harassment in their workplaces. This Public Hearing
is an essential step toward achieving justice, accountability, and safer workplaces for all.

Participation in the Public Hearing:

·Survivors, witnesses, and stakeholders are invited to share their testimonies – either in person or through written
submissions.

The hearings will ensure confidentiality and protection for all participants, with robust measures in place to prevent any
retaliation or harm.

These hearings will be closed to the public to ensure safety, and only jury members, experts, and other members of
coordinating team assisting jury will be present during testimony sessions.
Dates and Locations: Public Hearings will be held at multiple locations across West Bengal, including Kolkata.

Additional hearings
will take place in districts including South 24 Parganas, North Bengal, and other key regions to ensure broad participation.

The
Public Hearing will be held between 9th and 20th November 2024. Further details will follow.

How to Participate: Individuals, organizations, and institutions wishing to share experiences, provide written testimonies, or
offer policy suggestions are encouraged to contact the numbers or email id provided below.

Confidentiality and Protection: The Public Hearing will be conducted by maintaining strict confidentiality of all testimonies.