We were delight to be invited by IIT Bombay to deliver a lecture around the theme “Gender Related Issues” during the initiative – Leadership for Academicians Programme (LEAP) at IIT Bombay.

IIT Bombay organised LEAP, an initiative by MHRD, for potential academicians from Centrally Funded Technical Institutes to become future leaders. The participants (~30 members) in this program were senior faculty from several institutes of higher education having prior experience in administration. The program was aimed at developing next level of leadership in Academia through a 3 week long course. The idea was to impart a leader’s perspective in running large, complex and high impact organizations.

From a sexual harassment at workplace law perspective, we discussed the following with the participants:

• Need for a gender balanced workplace
• Sensitisation to professional etiquette
• Loci of gender interactions in academic and academic administrative setting
• Different strategies for student, staff and faculty groups
• Understanding of varied workplaces and residential habitats
• Creating conducive gender sensitive environment or protocols
• Preempting inappropriate work environments and practices
• Channels and mechanisms of expressing discomfort
• Channels for escalation of complaint
• Statutory and legal provisions and requirements
• Institutional communication of the framework and of the gender related ethos to all the players

It was a great learning experience for us.