The Saddest Day :: essays research papers

It was one of those superb days that makes you forget all your problems and makes you grateful that you are alive. The sun was beaming down scintillating honeyed rays to the earth, turning everything they touched into gold. The wind was a light blowing breeze, like angels breathing softly upon the world. The birds were singing their most beautiful songs turning the trees into radiant symphony orchestras. The crystal clear sky must have transformed into a mirror over the Caribbean Sea, for it was of the most beautiful shades of blue I had ever laid eyes on. The leaves were blowing around on the ground, already changed to fall colors of browns, yellows, and even pinks. The air smelled refreshing like a splash of cold water on your face when you awake in the morning, and crispy like an autumn leaf. Indeed, it was a glorious day, but you should never judge a book by its cover. As I stepped out of the house that morning, I took a deep breath and let the morning air fill my lungs. I was off to school, my Dad was waiting impatiently for me in the car. Beep! Beep! I heard the horn blow, echoing off the brick wall of my apartment. I hurried along to the car, barely jumping in before my Dad started to pull away. "You need to get ready a little faster you know." He said to me with what seemed to be a permanent stern look on his face. I wasn't going to argue with him today. It was too splendid out to fight, so I just nodded my head and smiled. I went through the day feeling great. School seemed as if it had zoomed by and before I knew it I was walking home. The weather was still the same, if not better by now. As I passed little children on my way home I smiled thinking about when I was little how great it was then. The worst thing in the world then was a scraped knee, and now it was a broken heart. As I neared my house I got a chill down my spine, like a cold gush of air when you open the freezer. I didn't think anything of it at the time. It was just a chill and I got them all the time. But now I know to be scared when I get one of

The Worst Hard Times

The Worst Hard Times Study Guide Chapters 3-5 I. PROMISE: The Great Plowup, 1901-1930 Chapter 3: Creating Dalhart 1. Vocabulary (choose 3 that you want to make sure you know): sharecropping (p. 52), optimism (p. 53), factory farms (p. 53), hooch (p. 54), landlord (56), cannon fodder (57) 2. Make a list of all the names. Who are they? What are their stories in connection with Dalhart and the times told of in this book? 3. Make a list of all the different ways the grass of the prairie is referred to; also keep a list of all the ways the land and the dust are referred to. 4. What were the ways people hoped to make money around Dalhart?Which were successful and which were not? 5. Who were the ‘girls’? What did they do for the town? (Read between the lines. The actual words on the page are not the answer to this question. ) 6. Who were the people (US origins? European origins? ) migrating to the High Plains? What were they looking and hoping for? Chapter 4: High Plains Deutsc h 1. Vocabulary (choose 5 you want to make sure you know): glut (p. 59), wheat mounds (p. 59), bushel (p. 59), debts, naked (p. 60), gamble (p. 60), swamping (p 60), defiant (p. 61), pungent (p. 62), potent (p. 62), turkey red (p. 62), thistle (p. 62), pacifists (p. 2), manifest destiny (p. 64), yeomen (p. 66) 2. When wheat prices went down and then down again, what did farmers do? What do you think of this? 3. Add to your list of all the names. What are their stories in connection with the area mentioned and the times told of in this book? 4. What is the family event in this chapter? Like other chapters, Egan begins telling this story, but then he goes to other events. What is the point of the story he tells us in this chapter? 5. What are the similarities and differences between the story of Russia and the High Plains? 6. What is the point of George Ehrlich family story?What particular experiences did he and his family have? What were the particular characteristics of George and h is culture? 7. P 61: ‘make fun of;’ ‘call them in for questioning;’ ‘refuse them entry;’ ‘mock.. ;’ ‘laugh at;’ ‘deride. ’ What is the subject of and object of these verb phrases? What do you think about this? 8. What countries did people come from to settle the High Plains? Support each place with names that Egan tells us. 9. What is the point of Egan telling us about the immigrants? What did they bring to the High Plains? 10. What does this mean, â€Å"Some railroads practiced selective ethnic shopping†?Chapter 5: Last of the Great Plowup 1. Vocabulary(choose 3 you want to make sure you know): stock market (p. 73), shares (p. 74), foreclosure (p. 79), warrants (p. 78), mule trains (81), tumble weed (p. 84) 2. When wheat prices went down and then down again, what did farmers do? What do you think of this? (I know this was in Ch 4†¦but what is different or the same in this chapter? ) 3. Althoug h most Americans did not own stocks, they had land and wheat. What happened to the prices of wheat and land after the stock market crash in 1929? 4. There was a peculiar kind of storm. What was it ? What did the storms do? How did people react? . Is President Hoover concerned about food? Why not? 6. How do farmers try to beat the banks in foreclosure sales in Boise City? 7. How much was Hazel paid for her teaching job? Where did the money come from to pay her? 8. What activity did Ike Osteen observe when he was playing at the ghost church? 9. Egan says that Prohibition was a â€Å"moneymaker and job creator† (p. 82). What is he telling us? 10. How were black men treated in Dalhart? Give an example. 11. What was going on with the wheat? What idea did President Hoover reject? What did farmers do in response? 12. â€Å"A new decade was dawning† †¦. What does this refer to?

What Happens When Neutron Stars Collide

There are some really weird denizens of the cosmic zoo out there in space. Youve probably heard about colliding galaxies and magnetars and white dwarfs. Have you ever read about  neutron stars? Theyre some of the weirdest of the weird — balls of neutrons packed together very tightly.   They have incredible gravitational field strength, plus strong magnetic field. Anything getting close to one would be changed forever. When Neutron Stars Meet! Anything that gets near the neutron star is subject to its strong pull of gravity. So, a planet (for example) could be torn apart as it nears such an object. A nearby star loses mass to its neutron star neighbor. Given that ability to rip things apart with its gravity, imagine what it would be like if two neutron stars met! Would they blow each other part? Well, maybe.   Gravity would obviously play a huge role as they get closer together and eventually merge. Beyond that, astronomers are still trying to figure out exactly what would happen in such a case (and what would cause one).    What occurs during such a collision depends on the mass of each of the neutron stars. If theyre smaller than about 2.5 times the mass of the Sun, theyll merge and create a black hole in a very short amount of time. How short? Try 100 milliseconds! Thats a tiny fraction of a second.   And, because you have a tremendous amount of energy released during the merger, a gamma-ray burst would be produced. (And, if you think thats a huge explosion, imagine what might happen when black holes themselves collide!) Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs): Bright Beacons in the Cosmos Gamma-ray bursts are just what the name sounds like: bursts of high-energy gamma rays from an intensely energetic event (such as a neutron star merger). They have been recorded all over the universe, and astronomers are still finding likely explanations for them, including in neutron star mergers.   If the neutron stars are larger than 2.5 times the mass of the Sun, you get a different scenario: there will be whats called a neutron star remnant.   No GRB is likely to take place. So, for right now, the conclusion is that you will either get a neutron star remnant or a black hole. If a black hole emerges from the collision, then it will be signaled by a gamma-ray burst.   One other thing: when neutron stars merge, gravity waves are formed, and those can be detected with such instruments as the LIGO facility (short for Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), built for to look for just such events in the cosmos.    Forming Neutron Stars How do they form? When very massive stars many times more massive than the Sun  explode as supernovae, they blast a LOT of their mass to space. Theres always a remnant of the original star left behind. If the star is massive enough, the leftovers are still very massive and they can shrink down to become a stellar black hole.   Sometimes theres not quite enough mass left, and the remains of the star crush down to form that ball of neutrons — a compact stellar object called a neutron star. It can be quite small — perhaps the size of a   small town a few miles across.   Its neutrons are crushed together very tightly, and theres no way of knowing whats happening inside.   Gravity Rules A neutron star is so massive that if you tried to lift a spoonful of its material, it would weigh a billion tons.  As with any other massive object in the universe, a neutron star has an intense gravitational pull. Its not quite as strong as a black holes, but it can definitely have an effect on nearby stars and planets (if theres anything left after the supernova explosion). They also have very strong magnetic fields, and often also give off bursts of radiation that we can detect from Earth. Such noisy neutron stars are also called pulsars. Given all that, neutron stars definitely rate as one of the top types of weird objects in the universe! Their collisions are among the most powerful events we can imagine.

Mandarin Chinese Sentence Structure

Mandarin Chinese sentence structure is quite different than English or other European languages. Since the word order doesnt match, sentences which are translated word-for-word to Mandarin will be difficult to understand. You must learn to think in Mandarin Chinese when speaking the language. Subject (who) Just like English, Mandarin Chinese subjects come at the beginning of the sentence. Time (when) Time expressions come immediately before or after the subject. John yesterday went to the doctor.Yesterday John went to the doctor. Place (where) To explain where an event happened, the place expression comes before the verb. Mary in school met her friend. Prepositional Phrase (with whom, to whom etc.) These are phrases which qualify an activity. They are placed before the verb and after the place expression. Susan yesterday at work with her friend ate lunch. Object The Mandarin Chinese object has a great deal of flexibility. It is usually placed after the verb, but other possibilities include before the verb, before the subject, or even omitted. Conversational Mandarin often omits both the subject and the object when the context makes the meaning clear. I like on the train read the newspaper.

Essay about Romanticism and George Sands Indiana

George Sands Indiana, is a text that represents Romantic sentiments in France at the time. Sand was independent, individual, and rebellious, she believed in reform more than revolution. This book gives insight into her own personal political thoughts and ideas at the time. It also has its own Byronic hero, a romantic favorite in literature. This book is more than just a read, it is also an historical and political text that lets you read into the thoughts and ideas of Romantic authors in Europe. The Byronic hero in literature is named after Lord Byron and his main protagonist in his poem Childe Harold. The Byronic hero was established during the Romantic period in art and literature as an anti-hero; he is supposed to represent†¦show more content†¦The people often see him as strange and mentally unstable. His dark persona and determination to not become a part of the cultural world sets him apart from the average man. In the end when he realizes that he does not need to shut himself off anymore and that the cultural world will not hurt him, he finally finds the freedom and the words to release all the emotions and thoughts inside of him. It is then the reader sees that Ralph is a glorious, wonderfully emotional man capable of feeling. It is his words that give inspiration and hope to Indiana and saves them both from committing suicide. Sir Ralph began as a man destined to be emotionless and isolated and by the end him and his emotions are all that can save th e weak, emotion wrecked Indiana. The Romantic spirit was one that stressed the inherent goodness of humans and individualism outside of society at this time. They believed that man, through human nature is good and well behaved, but society and so called civilization is what disrupts the minds and emotions of people. The Romantics were mostly in response to the Enlightenment movement and their emphasis of reason over emotion. To a Romantic, if man is inherently sinful, reason restrains his passions, but if he is naturally good, then in the proper environment, his emotions can be trusted. This gives credibility to the idea of individualism and the flourishing of human emotions and needs. They

Sexual Harassment at Workplace Free Essays

Sexual Harassment At Workplace We are still carrying that legacy where women are treated as secondary to men. True, the times have changed with Industrial Revolution and then the technological advances; women have been recognized as equal to men all over. But the legacy which was carried from so many ages goes on and it takes time to change the mind sets of all Indians. We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual Harassment at Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now The political system has to change and the entire systems ale customs like Sati etc. hich are still rampant in some parts of India and yes the dowry system which is present everywhere have to go if women have to enjoy equal respect along with men. As long as these evil practices continue and till commercialization of women through each and every useless advertisement is practiced harassment of women not only in work place but in home, in street, in college everywhere will continue and male chauvinism tries to dominate the female submissiveness everywhere. According to the Protection of Human Right Act, 1993 â€Å"human rights† means the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India. It is necessary and expedient for employers in work places as well as other responsible persons or institutions to observe certain guidelines to ensure the prevention of sexual harassment of women as to live with dignity is a human right guaranteed by our constitution. India In India Sexual harassment has been termed as â€Å"Eve teasing† and is described as: unwelcome sexual gesture or behavior whether directly or indirectly as sexually colored remarks; physical contact and advances; showing pornography; a demand or request for sexual favors; any other unwelcome physical, verbal/non-verbal conduct being sexual in nature. The critical factor is the unwelcomed behavior, thereby making the impact of such actions on the recipient more relevant rather than intent of the perpetrator. As per the Indian Constitution, sexual harassment infringes the fundamental ight of a woman to gender equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India and her right to life and live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Although there is no specific law against sexual harassment at workplace in India but many provisions in other legislations protect against sexual harassment at workplace, such as Section 354, IPC deals with â€Å"assault or criminal for ce to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty, and Section 509, IPC deals with â€Å"word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. What amounts to sexual harassment? In 1997 in Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan and others, for the first time sexual harassment had been explicitly- legally defined as an unwelcome sexual gesture or behaviour whether directly or indirectly as 1. Sexually coloured remarks 2. Physical contact and advances 3. Showing pornography 4. A demand or request for sexual favours 5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal/non-verbal conduct being sexual in nature. It was in this landmark case that the sexual harassment was identified as a separate illegal behaviour. The critical factor in sexual harassment is the unwelcomeness of the behaviour. Thereby making the impact of such actions on the recipient more relevant rather than intent of the perpetrator- which is to be considered. In any kind of organization i. e. government, private or public enterprises such kind of conduct creates an apprehension in the minds of the employees that if they don’t perform the work given to them they will be one the victims of sexual harassment and thereby it creates fear in their minds. On the other hands it is also the employer who might threat the employee regarding there transfer, promotion etc. nd it has been seen in the corporates that the employer do ask for some kind of favour in order to give the job, transfer or promotion or for that matter in order to increase their salary. All this amounts to Sexual Harassment because it is done against the will of the person and the employees who are in need of the above things do agree to the terms of the employer. In other words it can be said that, it is discriminatory when the woman h as reasonable grounds to believe that her objection would disadvantage her in connection with her employment or work including recruiting or promotion or when it creates a hostile work environment. Adverse consequences might be visited if the victim does not consent to the conduct in question or raises any objection thereto. Laws under which a case can be filed In India there is no specific law relating to Sexual Harassment at workplace but there are certain sections in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Constitution and certain other laws and Acts that protect the women’s from sexual harassment at workplace and they are as follows: Section 354, IPC deals with assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty and lays down that: Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or both. In cases where the accused sexually harasses or insults the modesty of a woman by way of either- obscene acts or songs or- by means of words, gesture, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, he shall be punished under Sections. 94 and 509 respectively. Under Sec. 294 the obscene act or song must cause annoyance. Though annoyance is an important ingredient of this offence, it being associated with the mental condition, has often to be inferred from proved facts. However, another important ingredient of this offence is that the obscene acts or songs must be committed or sung in or near any public place. Section 509, IPC deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and lays down that: Whoever intending to insult the modesty of any woman utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or both. (Cognizable and bailable offences). Civil suit can be filed for damages under tort laws. That is, the basis for filing the case would be mental anguish, physical harassment, loss of income and employment caused by the sexual harassment. Under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1987) if an individual harasses another with books, photographs, paintings, films, pamphlets, packages, etc. containing â€Å"indecent representation of women†; they are liable for a minimum sentence of 2 years. Section 7 (Offenses by Companies) holds companies where there has been â€Å"indecent representation of women† (such as the display of pornography) on the premises guilty of offenses under this act, with a minimum sentence of 2 years. Early history of the use of the term â€Å"Sexual harassment† The term sexual harassment was used in 1973 in a report to the then President and Chancellor of MIT about various forms of gender issues. In the book In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution (1999), journalist Susan Brown miller quotes the Cornell activists who in 1975 thought they had coined the term sexual harassment: â€Å"Eight of them were sitting in an office †¦ brainstorming about what they were going to write on posters for their speak-out. They were referring to it as ‘sexual intimidation,’ ‘sexual coercion,’ ‘sexual exploitation on the job. None of those names seemed quite right. They wanted something that embraced a whole range of subtle and un-subtle persistent behaviors. Somebody came up with ‘harassment. ‘ ‘Sexual harassment! ‘ Instantly they agreed. That’s what it was. † These activists, Lin Farley, Susan Meyer, and Karen Sauvigne w ent on to form Working Women’s Institute which, along with the Alliance against Sexual Coercion, founded in 1976 by Freada Klein, Lynn Wehrli, and Elizabeth Cohn-Stuntz, were among the pioneer organizations to bring sexual harassment to public attention in the late 1970s. Harassment Situations Sexual harassments can occur in a variety of circumstances. Often, but not always, the harasser is in a position of power or authority over the victim (due to differences in age, or social, political, educational or employment relationships). The harasser and the victim can be anyone and of any gender, such as a client, a co-worker, a teacher or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger. The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behavior offensive and is affected by it. Adverse effects on the target are common. The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behavior is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful. Misunderstanding can result from a situation where one thinks he/she is making themselves clear, but is not understood the way they intended. The misunderstanding can either be reasonable or unreasonable. An example of unreasonable is when a man holds a certain stereotypical view of a woman such that he did not understand the woman’s explicit message to stop. Types of harassment There is often more than one type of harassing behavior present, so a single harasser may fit more than one category. The different types of harassment could be; Stalking. Pest, Bully, Power-Player, Mother/Father figure (a. k. a the counselor helper), Groper, One-Of-The-Gang, Serial Harasser, Opportunist, Confidante, Situational Harasser etc. Steps to be taken by the employers In Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan and others, the Supreme Court in absence of ny enacted law (which still remains absent- save the Supreme Court guidelines as stated hereunder) to provide for effective enforcement of basic human rights of gender equality and guarantee against sexual harassment, laid down the following guidelines: All Employers or persons in charge of work place whether in public or private sector should take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment. Without prejudice to the generality of this obligation they should take the following steps: (a) Express prohibition of s exual harassment as defined, above at the work place should be notified, published and circulated in appropriate ways. b) The Rules/Regulations of Government and Public Sector bodies relating to conduct and discipline should include rules / regulations prohibiting sexual harassment and provide for appropriate penalties in such rules against the offender. (c) As regards private employers steps should be taken to include the aforesaid prohibitions in the standing orders under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1940. d) Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women at work places and no employee woman should have reasonable grounds to believe that she is disadvantaged in connection with her employment. Awareness Rights of female employees in this regard should be created in particular by prominently notifying the guidelines (and appropriate legislation whe n enacted on the subject) in a suitable manner. This is one of the most important factors that should be taken up seriously both by the employer and the government. The female employees should be made aware of the rights that are available to them relating to Sexual Harassment. In the metropolitan cities the female employees working in good companies and working at high level are very well about their rights but those females who are working at the low level and in small towns hardly know about their rights which they can exercise for any kind of sexual harassment thereby getting relief from the court as well as their dignity lost due to this harassment. Effects of sexual harassment on organizations Sexual Harassment has an adverse effect on the organization as the working enthusiasm of the sexually harassed female employee goes down, she is not able to work in the same way as she was before being harassed and thus she is not able to give her 100% to the organization thereby leading to decreased job satisfaction. This is only one the factor there might be loss of staff and expertise from resignations to avoid harassment or resignations/firings of alleged harassers; loss of students who leave school to avoid harassment. And the most important there might be decrease in the productivity level and increase in team conflicts. Decrease in success at meeting financial goals (because of team conflict) and this may lead to loss for the organization as they fail to achieve the goal of the organization. Some other problems that the organization has to face due to the harassment; Increased health care costs and sick pay costs because of the health consequences of harassment, the knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine ethical standards and discipline in the organization in general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and trust in, their seniors who indulge in, or turn a blind eye to, sexual harassment, if the problem is ignored, a company’s or school’s image can suffer, legal costs if the problem is ignored and complainants take the issue to court. Some famous case laws relating to Sexual Harassment One of the most famous case laws in the history of India relating to sexual harassment is Vishaka v State of Rajasthan and others, wherein for the first time the definition of sexual harassment was defined, certain guidelines pertaining to the employers were laid down, as to how their contribution in the organization could avoid sexual harassment of the female employees in the organization. In this particular case a writ petition was filed by ‘Vishaka’- a non Governmental organization working for gender equality by way of PIL seeking enforcement of fundamental rights of working women under Article. 21 of the Constitution. case: A K. Chopra’s case, is the first case in which the Supreme Court applied the law laid down in Vishaka’s case and upheld the dismissal of a superior officer of the Delhi based Apparel Export Promotion Council who was found guilty of sexual harassment of a subordinate female employee at the place of work on the ground that it violated her fundamental right guaranteed by Article. 21 of the Constitution. In both cases the Supreme Court observed, that † In cases involving Human Rights, the Courts must be alive to the International Conventions and Instruments as far as possible to give effect to the principles contained therein- such as the Convention on the Eradication of All forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979 [CE DAW] and the Beijing Declaration directing all state parties to take appropriate measures to prevent such discrimination. † The guidelines and judgments have identified sexual harassment as a question of power exerted by the perpetrator on the victim. Therefore sexual harassment in addition to being a violation of the right to safe working conditions is also a violation of the right to bodily integrity of the woman. In Rupan Deol Bajaj Vs. K PS. Gill, a senior IAS officer, Rupan Bajaj was slapped on the posterior by the then Chief of Police, Punjab- Mr. K P S. Gill at a dinner party in July 1988. Rupan Bajaj filed a suit against him, despite the public opinion that she was blowing it out of proportion, along with the attempts by all the senior officials of the state to suppress the matter. The Supreme Court in January, 1998 fined Mr. K P S. Gill Rs. 2. 5 lacs in lieu of three months Rigorous Imprisonment under Sections. 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. In N Radhabai Vs. D. Ramchandran, Radhabai, Secretary to D Ramchandran, the then social minister for state protested against his abuse of girls in the welfare institutions, he attempted to molest her, which was followed by her dismissal. The Supreme Court in 1995 passed the judgment in her favour, with back pay and perks from the date of dismissal. These are some of the famous case laws in the history of India which have completely justified sexual harassment at a workplace and held the accused liable, be it a Chief Police Officer or a Social minister. Conclusion Sexual Harassment at workplace, it’s not only the duty of the employer to make sure that the female employees are provided with the proper working conditions, rules and regulations etc. it’s also the duty of the female employees to make sure that where ever they are working is that a safe place, there is no kind of fear as to promotion, transfer, salary etc. if she refuses to take the offer given to her. It’s also their duty to make sure that they inform the management of the head of the organization if any kind of unwelcomed behavior is being noticed by them so that the organization can take the right step at the right time. The females working in corporate sectors the big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are very well aware about their rights or as or as to what steps should be taken if sexual harassment is done to them but then there are hardly any female employees working in small industries, villages where the rate of sexual harassment is high know about all the laws, rights and reliefs that are available for them. In the past three years there have been thirty police official who have been arrested for sexual harassment. Now if the helpers of the law are going to do this then what can we expect form the ordinary citizens. The Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill 2010 focuses on women’s right to protection against sexual harassment at the workplace. The Passing of this bill will empower the women to action against the wrongdoer in a more powerful and stronger manner. How to cite Sexual Harassment at Workplace, Essay examples Sexual Harassment at Workplace Free Essays Sexual Harassment At Workplace We are still carrying that legacy where women are treated as secondary to men. True, the times have changed with Industrial Revolution and then the technological advances; women have been recognized as equal to men all over. But the legacy which was carried from so many ages goes on and it takes time to change the mind sets of all Indians. We will write a custom essay sample on Sexual Harassment at Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now The political system has to change and the entire systems ale customs like Sati etc. hich are still rampant in some parts of India and yes the dowry system which is present everywhere have to go if women have to enjoy equal respect along with men. As long as these evil practices continue and till commercialization of women through each and every useless advertisement is practiced harassment of women not only in work place but in home, in street, in college everywhere will continue and male chauvinism tries to dominate the female submissiveness everywhere. According to the Protection of Human Right Act, 1993 â€Å"human rights† means the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India. It is necessary and expedient for employers in work places as well as other responsible persons or institutions to observe certain guidelines to ensure the prevention of sexual harassment of women as to live with dignity is a human right guaranteed by our constitution. India In India Sexual harassment has been termed as â€Å"Eve teasing† and is described as: unwelcome sexual gesture or behavior whether directly or indirectly as sexually colored remarks; physical contact and advances; showing pornography; a demand or request for sexual favors; any other unwelcome physical, verbal/non-verbal conduct being sexual in nature. The critical factor is the unwelcomed behavior, thereby making the impact of such actions on the recipient more relevant rather than intent of the perpetrator. As per the Indian Constitution, sexual harassment infringes the fundamental ight of a woman to gender equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India and her right to life and live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Although there is no specific law against sexual harassment at workplace in India but many provisions in other legislations protect against sexual harassment at workplace, such as Section 354, IPC deals with â€Å"assault or criminal for ce to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty, and Section 509, IPC deals with â€Å"word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman. What amounts to sexual harassment? In 1997 in Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan and others, for the first time sexual harassment had been explicitly- legally defined as an unwelcome sexual gesture or behaviour whether directly or indirectly as 1. Sexually coloured remarks 2. Physical contact and advances 3. Showing pornography 4. A demand or request for sexual favours 5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal/non-verbal conduct being sexual in nature. It was in this landmark case that the sexual harassment was identified as a separate illegal behaviour. The critical factor in sexual harassment is the unwelcomeness of the behaviour. Thereby making the impact of such actions on the recipient more relevant rather than intent of the perpetrator- which is to be considered. In any kind of organization i. e. government, private or public enterprises such kind of conduct creates an apprehension in the minds of the employees that if they don’t perform the work given to them they will be one the victims of sexual harassment and thereby it creates fear in their minds. On the other hands it is also the employer who might threat the employee regarding there transfer, promotion etc. nd it has been seen in the corporates that the employer do ask for some kind of favour in order to give the job, transfer or promotion or for that matter in order to increase their salary. All this amounts to Sexual Harassment because it is done against the will of the person and the employees who are in need of the above things do agree to the terms of the employer. In other words it can be said that, it is discriminatory when the woman h as reasonable grounds to believe that her objection would disadvantage her in connection with her employment or work including recruiting or promotion or when it creates a hostile work environment. Adverse consequences might be visited if the victim does not consent to the conduct in question or raises any objection thereto. Laws under which a case can be filed In India there is no specific law relating to Sexual Harassment at workplace but there are certain sections in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Constitution and certain other laws and Acts that protect the women’s from sexual harassment at workplace and they are as follows: Section 354, IPC deals with assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty and lays down that: Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or both. In cases where the accused sexually harasses or insults the modesty of a woman by way of either- obscene acts or songs or- by means of words, gesture, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman, he shall be punished under Sections. 94 and 509 respectively. Under Sec. 294 the obscene act or song must cause annoyance. Though annoyance is an important ingredient of this offence, it being associated with the mental condition, has often to be inferred from proved facts. However, another important ingredient of this offence is that the obscene acts or songs must be committed or sung in or near any public place. Section 509, IPC deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and lays down that: Whoever intending to insult the modesty of any woman utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or both. (Cognizable and bailable offences). Civil suit can be filed for damages under tort laws. That is, the basis for filing the case would be mental anguish, physical harassment, loss of income and employment caused by the sexual harassment. Under the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1987) if an individual harasses another with books, photographs, paintings, films, pamphlets, packages, etc. containing â€Å"indecent representation of women†; they are liable for a minimum sentence of 2 years. Section 7 (Offenses by Companies) holds companies where there has been â€Å"indecent representation of women† (such as the display of pornography) on the premises guilty of offenses under this act, with a minimum sentence of 2 years. Early history of the use of the term â€Å"Sexual harassment† The term sexual harassment was used in 1973 in a report to the then President and Chancellor of MIT about various forms of gender issues. In the book In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution (1999), journalist Susan Brown miller quotes the Cornell activists who in 1975 thought they had coined the term sexual harassment: â€Å"Eight of them were sitting in an office †¦ brainstorming about what they were going to write on posters for their speak-out. They were referring to it as ‘sexual intimidation,’ ‘sexual coercion,’ ‘sexual exploitation on the job. None of those names seemed quite right. They wanted something that embraced a whole range of subtle and un-subtle persistent behaviors. Somebody came up with ‘harassment. ‘ ‘Sexual harassment! ‘ Instantly they agreed. That’s what it was. † These activists, Lin Farley, Susan Meyer, and Karen Sauvigne w ent on to form Working Women’s Institute which, along with the Alliance against Sexual Coercion, founded in 1976 by Freada Klein, Lynn Wehrli, and Elizabeth Cohn-Stuntz, were among the pioneer organizations to bring sexual harassment to public attention in the late 1970s. Harassment Situations Sexual harassments can occur in a variety of circumstances. Often, but not always, the harasser is in a position of power or authority over the victim (due to differences in age, or social, political, educational or employment relationships). The harasser and the victim can be anyone and of any gender, such as a client, a co-worker, a teacher or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger. The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behavior offensive and is affected by it. Adverse effects on the target are common. The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behavior is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful. Misunderstanding can result from a situation where one thinks he/she is making themselves clear, but is not understood the way they intended. The misunderstanding can either be reasonable or unreasonable. An example of unreasonable is when a man holds a certain stereotypical view of a woman such that he did not understand the woman’s explicit message to stop. Types of harassment There is often more than one type of harassing behavior present, so a single harasser may fit more than one category. The different types of harassment could be; Stalking. Pest, Bully, Power-Player, Mother/Father figure (a. k. a the counselor helper), Groper, One-Of-The-Gang, Serial Harasser, Opportunist, Confidante, Situational Harasser etc. Steps to be taken by the employers In Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan and others, the Supreme Court in absence of ny enacted law (which still remains absent- save the Supreme Court guidelines as stated hereunder) to provide for effective enforcement of basic human rights of gender equality and guarantee against sexual harassment, laid down the following guidelines: All Employers or persons in charge of work place whether in public or private sector should take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment. Without prejudice to the generality of this obligation they should take the following steps: (a) Express prohibition of s exual harassment as defined, above at the work place should be notified, published and circulated in appropriate ways. b) The Rules/Regulations of Government and Public Sector bodies relating to conduct and discipline should include rules / regulations prohibiting sexual harassment and provide for appropriate penalties in such rules against the offender. (c) As regards private employers steps should be taken to include the aforesaid prohibitions in the standing orders under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1940. d) Appropriate work conditions should be provided in respect of work, leisure, health and hygiene to further ensure that there is no hostile environment towards women at work places and no employee woman should have reasonable grounds to believe that she is disadvantaged in connection with her employment. Awareness Rights of female employees in this regard should be created in particular by prominently notifying the guidelines (and appropriate legislation whe n enacted on the subject) in a suitable manner. This is one of the most important factors that should be taken up seriously both by the employer and the government. The female employees should be made aware of the rights that are available to them relating to Sexual Harassment. In the metropolitan cities the female employees working in good companies and working at high level are very well about their rights but those females who are working at the low level and in small towns hardly know about their rights which they can exercise for any kind of sexual harassment thereby getting relief from the court as well as their dignity lost due to this harassment. Effects of sexual harassment on organizations Sexual Harassment has an adverse effect on the organization as the working enthusiasm of the sexually harassed female employee goes down, she is not able to work in the same way as she was before being harassed and thus she is not able to give her 100% to the organization thereby leading to decreased job satisfaction. This is only one the factor there might be loss of staff and expertise from resignations to avoid harassment or resignations/firings of alleged harassers; loss of students who leave school to avoid harassment. And the most important there might be decrease in the productivity level and increase in team conflicts. Decrease in success at meeting financial goals (because of team conflict) and this may lead to loss for the organization as they fail to achieve the goal of the organization. Some other problems that the organization has to face due to the harassment; Increased health care costs and sick pay costs because of the health consequences of harassment, the knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine ethical standards and discipline in the organization in general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and trust in, their seniors who indulge in, or turn a blind eye to, sexual harassment, if the problem is ignored, a company’s or school’s image can suffer, legal costs if the problem is ignored and complainants take the issue to court. Some famous case laws relating to Sexual Harassment One of the most famous case laws in the history of India relating to sexual harassment is Vishaka v State of Rajasthan and others, wherein for the first time the definition of sexual harassment was defined, certain guidelines pertaining to the employers were laid down, as to how their contribution in the organization could avoid sexual harassment of the female employees in the organization. In this particular case a writ petition was filed by ‘Vishaka’- a non Governmental organization working for gender equality by way of PIL seeking enforcement of fundamental rights of working women under Article. 21 of the Constitution. case: A K. Chopra’s case, is the first case in which the Supreme Court applied the law laid down in Vishaka’s case and upheld the dismissal of a superior officer of the Delhi based Apparel Export Promotion Council who was found guilty of sexual harassment of a subordinate female employee at the place of work on the ground that it violated her fundamental right guaranteed by Article. 21 of the Constitution. In both cases the Supreme Court observed, that † In cases involving Human Rights, the Courts must be alive to the International Conventions and Instruments as far as possible to give effect to the principles contained therein- such as the Convention on the Eradication of All forms of Discrimination Against Women, 1979 [CE DAW] and the Beijing Declaration directing all state parties to take appropriate measures to prevent such discrimination. † The guidelines and judgments have identified sexual harassment as a question of power exerted by the perpetrator on the victim. Therefore sexual harassment in addition to being a violation of the right to safe working conditions is also a violation of the right to bodily integrity of the woman. In Rupan Deol Bajaj Vs. K PS. Gill, a senior IAS officer, Rupan Bajaj was slapped on the posterior by the then Chief of Police, Punjab- Mr. K P S. Gill at a dinner party in July 1988. Rupan Bajaj filed a suit against him, despite the public opinion that she was blowing it out of proportion, along with the attempts by all the senior officials of the state to suppress the matter. The Supreme Court in January, 1998 fined Mr. K P S. Gill Rs. 2. 5 lacs in lieu of three months Rigorous Imprisonment under Sections. 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. In N Radhabai Vs. D. Ramchandran, Radhabai, Secretary to D Ramchandran, the then social minister for state protested against his abuse of girls in the welfare institutions, he attempted to molest her, which was followed by her dismissal. The Supreme Court in 1995 passed the judgment in her favour, with back pay and perks from the date of dismissal. These are some of the famous case laws in the history of India which have completely justified sexual harassment at a workplace and held the accused liable, be it a Chief Police Officer or a Social minister. Conclusion Sexual Harassment at workplace, it’s not only the duty of the employer to make sure that the female employees are provided with the proper working conditions, rules and regulations etc. it’s also the duty of the female employees to make sure that where ever they are working is that a safe place, there is no kind of fear as to promotion, transfer, salary etc. if she refuses to take the offer given to her. It’s also their duty to make sure that they inform the management of the head of the organization if any kind of unwelcomed behavior is being noticed by them so that the organization can take the right step at the right time. The females working in corporate sectors the big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru are very well aware about their rights or as or as to what steps should be taken if sexual harassment is done to them but then there are hardly any female employees working in small industries, villages where the rate of sexual harassment is high know about all the laws, rights and reliefs that are available for them. In the past three years there have been thirty police official who have been arrested for sexual harassment. Now if the helpers of the law are going to do this then what can we expect form the ordinary citizens. The Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill 2010 focuses on women’s right to protection against sexual harassment at the workplace. The Passing of this bill will empower the women to action against the wrongdoer in a more powerful and stronger manner. How to cite Sexual Harassment at Workplace, Papers

Bush Essay Example For Students

Bush Essay George Bush is not content with the United States being the top dog. His snarling at one international accord after another besmirches the United States and makes the world a more dangerous place. When Bush nixed at the ABM treaty, the comprehensive test ban treaty, the biological weapons protocol, and the small-arms convention, he sent an unmistakable signal that the United States doesnt care about arms control. This will only encourage other nations to bolster their own arsenals, and the arms race will accelerate on every track. And when Bush led the United States out of the Kyoto accord on global warming, he turned Washington into a laughingstock, with 178 nations on one side and the United States on the other. By not requiring U.S. companies, which produce a huge chunk of the worlds carbon dioxide, to curb their emissions, Bush showed a reckless disregard for the environmental health of the planet. Like many know-nothings, Bush believes the United States is better than any other country. Theyre foreigners; what do they know? So what if 178 nations disagree with us? Weve got the Holy Grail. Were so different from all these other nations that our interests cant possibly coincide with theirs. After returning from Europe on his first trip, he bragged to Peggy Noonan, his dads speechwriter, that he stood down more than twenty leaders (no matter they were our allies) so he could stand up for America. Bush also has Kissingers phobia: the morbid fear that other countries will drag U.S. soldiers or statesmen to The Hague or elsewhere for prosecution. Belgium is already trying to get its hands on Kissinger, and Bush wants to make sure that Americans elude any court outside our borders. The one job Bush takes seriously is that of chief executive of the corporate class. Boeing, Lockheed, and Philip Morris want to be able ply their wares without interference from any international body, so Bush undercuts those bodies at every opportunity. The World Health Organization, for instance, is trying to get countries to sign on to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which would, among other things, limit advertising, raise cigarette taxes, eliminate subsidies, and consider the possibility of expanding the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice so that tobacco companies could be tried for crimes against humanity. Tobacco killed four million people last year, according to the World Health Organization, which predicts that ten million people a year will die by 2030, with most of those coming from the developing nations. The Bush Administration has tried to weaken the framework at every turn, Judith Wilkenfeld of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids told The Wall Street Journal. (Further repaying a campaign debt to the tobacco companies, the Bush Administration has gone to bat for them in South Korea. American trade officials have intervened on behalf of U.S. tobacco companies to stop South Korea from imposing new requirements on foreign firms seeking to sell and manufacture cigarettes in that country, The Washington Post reported. One of those requirements would have been a 40 percent duty on all imported cigarettes. Philip Morris applauded the Bush Administrations move. When it comes to high duties and barriers to our entering markets, we think the U.S. government has a role to play, said Mark Berlin, associate general counsel for the company. U.S. arms manufacturers are equally grateful to the Bush Administration for sabotaging the U.N. effort to regulate the traffic in small arms. In July, more than 170 nations met to impose restrictions on these arms, which include assault rifles, grenade launchers, and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. U.S. arms manufacturers are the leading exporters of small arms, accounting for $1.2 billion of the $4 billion annual trade, according to the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey. The United Nations estimates that small arms are used to kill at least half a million people each year, The Washington Post reported. More than 80 percent of the victims are children and women.The U.N. conference wanted to ban personal ownership of military weapons and prohibit governments from selling such weapons to rebel groups. The United States opposed both of those measures. The vast majority of arms transfers in the world are routine and not problematic, said John Bolton, Under Secretary of