NHRC Hosts National Symposium on Women’s Safety with University of Lucknow

• 28 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in collaboration with the University of Lucknow, held the National Symposium on ‘Women’s Safety at Work and Public Spaces’, amid growing concerns over gender-based violence in professional and public domains. 

Key Points 

• NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian, highlighted the stark contrast between India's cultural reverence for women and the alarming frequency of violence, 51 FIRs every hour. 
  • He also underlined the long struggle leading to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and called for systemic, enforcement-led, and awareness-driven reforms. 
  • He urged educators and society to foster gender-sensitive behaviour. 
• Institutional Gaps and Policy Suggestions: Symposium noted the gaps in law enforcement, institutional responsiveness, and public awareness, stressing the need for: 
  • Greater female representation in decision-making bodies. 
  • Inclusion of the informal sector in women’s safety discourse. 
  • Promotion of SHE-Box, One Stop Centres, and Pink Police Booths. 
• Key Recommendations of Symposium: 
  • Policy-implementation-awareness triad must be addressed in unison. 
  • Informal sector workers need tailored outreach and protection. 
  • Sensitisation must begin at the individual and familial level. 
  • Inclusive spaces and representation for women must be institutionalised. 
  • Educational institutions should actively promote gender awareness and conduct training. 

About National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) 

• The NHRC of India is an autonomous statutory body established to promote and protect human rights.  
• It was constituted on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993, which was later amended in 2006 and 2019.  
• The Commission was established in conformity with the Paris Principles, which are international standards adopted for promoting and protecting human rights.  
  • The Paris Principles are the set of international standards adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in Paris (October, 1991) and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on 20th December 1993.  
  • These principles guide the work of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) across the world.   
• Powers of NHRC: NHRC is vested with powers equivalent to those of a civil court as per the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.  
• NHRC Investigation Team: The NHRC has its own investigation team led by a Director General of Police.