PREAMBLE

To create and maintain a community in which teaching, non-teaching staff and students can work together in an environment free of sexual violence, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation, Anna University has proactively established a cell for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) under the recommendation of the National Accreditation and Assessment Council. This includes all forms of gender violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on sex/gender. This also meets the obligation as mandated by The Supreme Court of India, in its landmark judgment in August 1997 viz., Vishaka & others vs. the State of Rajasthan & others which stated that every instance of sexual harassment is a violation of “Fundamental Rights” under Articles 14, 15, and 21of the Constitution of India, and amounts to a violation of the “Right to Freedom” under Article 19(1) (g). This judgment makes it obligatory for every employer and other responsible persons to follow the guidelines laid down by the Court/ UGC/ AICTE/ HEI and to evolve a specific policy to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. Educational institutions are bound by the same directive. Following this, Anna University is committed to upholding the Constitutional mandate ensuring the above mentioned human rights of all those who fall within its jurisdiction. Thus Anna University has proactively established the PoSH Cell.

VISION

PoSH Cell, Anna University shall strive hard to build and maintain an atmosphere free of sexual violence, harassment, exploitation, and intimidation for teaching, non-teaching staff, and students by conducting continuous awareness programme to achieve sustainable humankind behavior in the work place.

MISSION

PoSH Cell, Anna University shall contribute for a sustainable humankind workplace environment for staff and students, as a proactive measure.

• Conducting awareness programme based on Supreme Court judgment, UGC, AICTE and HEI Guidelines.
• Nurturing gender amity among employees and students. Sensitization of gender issue for the working and learning communities
• Dealing with cases of discrimination and sexual harassment against women, in a time bound manner, by ensuring support services to the victim in order to terminate the harassment.
• Early appropriate action against the offender and ensure both the victim and witnesses are not discriminated against because of their complaints.
• Ensuring the support conditions for enhancing the sustainable humankind workplace in university.