Domestic Violence Act. The Chelsea School Department and the Chelsea Teaches' Union acknowledge that the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) provides up to fifteen (15) days of unpaid leave in any twelve
Domestic Violence Act. For many years, women activists had been trying to pass a domestic violence bill with civil remedies protecting women from DV in the family and in family-like relationships, suffering defeat year after year in Parliament. WPC became involved in lobbying the bill, which passed on the last day of the monsoon session in July 2005, and became known as “The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005” (hereafter DV Act). WPC then began a major push to get funding for the implementation of the Act. A WPC delegation met with the Minister for Women and Child Development (MWCD) to expedite rule-framing for the DV Act. After the rules were approved by Parliament, the DV Act came into operation in 2006. WPC lobbied Central and State governments to allocate separate funds for putting infrastructure in place for the effective implementation of the Act. A WPC delegation met Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Deputy Chairperson Planning Commission, to submit recommendations on allocation of funds for implementation of the Act. In 2007, letters were sent to WPC members and other prominent organizations asking them to keep track of new developments in their states and lobby their respective governments for implementation of the Act. In response, WPC state chapters lobbied their state governments on the issue. For example, the Punjab State Chapter took a delegation of WPC members to meet with the Chief Minister of Punjab on November 25, 2007, requesting proper implementation of the DV Act. A lobby document on domestic violence was sent to the nine MP members of the Gender Ginger Group and the 62 women MPs. Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Bill Although there is case law dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace, its scope is inadequate and it is inadequately implemented. Along with other advocates, WPC is lobbying for the passage of legislation. After WPC adopted sexual harassment as an issue, letters were sent to MPs to seek their support in getting the Sexual Harassment Bill tabled and passed. WPC also prepared clause-by-clause recommendations on amendments to the existing Bill and submitted those to MWCD, NCW, and to all MPs. WPC organized a meeting to discuss the draft ‘Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at the Workplace’ bill in Kolkata, attended by 65 people from Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. WPC submitted recommendations from this meeting to MWCD and regularly tracked the bill. WPC lobbied MPs to get the bill tabled. In 2007...
