The Office of the Ombudsperson Punjab continued its outreach efforts to promote safe and respectful workplaces by conducting a series of awareness meetings with the Directorates of Education in the Sahiwal Division on the implementation of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010 (as amended in 2012).
The meetings were led by Mr. Qasim Bashir, Consultant, and Mr. Muhammad Abdullah, Law Officer, who met with senior officials of the Elementary and Secondary Education Departments to discuss institutional compliance with the Act and the promotion of harassment-free workplaces.
The delegation held productive discussions with Mr. Ihsaan Farid, Director Education (Elementary); Mr. Khalid Hussain Mohal, Director Education (Secondary); Ch. Abdul Razzaq, Additional Director (Elementary); and Dr. Kamran Aziz, Additional Director (Secondary).
During the meetings, the Ombudsperson Punjab’s representatives emphasized the importance of creating awareness about the provisions of the Act and highlighted the legal requirement for institutions to prominently display the prescribed Code of Conduct in workplaces. The Code of Conduct serves as an essential tool in informing employees of their rights, responsibilities, and the available mechanisms for reporting and redressing complaints of workplace harassment.
The discussions also focused on strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring compliance with the law, and fostering workplace environments based on dignity, equality, mutual respect, and accountability.
The Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman commends the Office of the Ombudsperson Punjab for its continued efforts to enhance legal awareness and support institutions in building safe, inclusive, and harassment-free workplaces across the province.
