National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) is an equal opportunity provider. In order to make NUMS a safe workplace and provide enabling environment to learn and work, the university has set a strong tone from the top and shown zero tolerance for sexual harassment at workplace. It has taken significant steps of adopting HEC’s ‘Policy on Protection Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace’, which is in line with the ‘Protection of Women at Workplace Act 2010’ and its amendment announced in 2022. NUMS encourages open communication between employees and has developed an internal complaint process in line with the law of the land. The process ensures confidentiality and prompt action against the perpetrators, which is reinforced by a mechanism of feedback to continuously improve the system.
Mehergarh - A Centre for Learning is a nonprofit organisation that was actively engaged in the passage of the ‘Protection of Women at Workplace Act 2010’. It served as the secretariat of the Alliance Against Sexual Harassment (AASHA) and when the alliance concluded on 22nd December, 2011, the organization took on the responsibility of implementing this law throughout the country. Mehergarh has been working on the effective implementation of this law in the public and private sectors since then. It has trained around ten members of NUMS since 2017 and has been collaborating in strengthening the internal mechanisms of complaint and creating of a strong Inquiry Committee.
In order to buttress these efforts together, NUMS and Mehergarh- A Centre for Learning, signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 to train all faculty members at NUMS, on how to prevent and create zero tolerance for sexual harassment, in order to keep the whole student body informed at all times.
Both parties pledged to get members of Standing Inquiry Committees of all constituent and affiliated Institutions of NUMS trained in phases and get more relevant professionals at NUMS trained in Mehergarh's residential trainings, to develop a critical mass of those who could collectively work on creating deterrence against sexual harassment at workplace among the university community.
Maj Gen Syed Ammar Reza Hamdani, HI(M) (Retd), Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration), NUMS and Ms Maliha Husain, Executive Director, Mehergarh signed the MOU. In presence were Brig Zafar Iqbal Mughal SI(M), (Retd), Director Coordination, Registrar Brig Muhammad Azhar Shams, TI (M) (Retd), Prof Dr Shazia Khalid, Head of NUMS Department of Psychology, Prof Dr Dilshad Ahmed, Director Academics, Prof Aamir Shahzad, Director Academics (Clinical), Consultant, Quality Assurance Air Cdre Muhammad Ismail SI (M) (Retd) and Dr Erum Monis, Deputy Director QA.
At the end of the ceremony, Maj Gen Syed Ammar Reza Hamdani, HI (M) (Retd) presented the souvenirs to Ms Maliha Husain, ED Mehergarh, who reciprocated by presenting Mehergarh publications to him.
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