Save Indian Family Foundation, an NGO working for men’s rights, upholds a move by many male pilots of prominent airlines wherein the male pilots are not allowing female air hostesses inside the cockpit fearing false charges of groping, molestation and sexual harassment being leveled against the male pilots.
As per the news below, male pilots are not allowing female air hostesses inside cockpit.
Even though, it is being projected as a violation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), however, the fears of the male pilots are not unfounded. In the past, there have been incidences wherein pilots have been suspended from duty, lost their social reputation, on a mere allegation by a female crew.
In October 2009, Air India pilots Amit Khanna and Ranbir Arora were suspended and subjected to trial following allegation of molestation by air hostess Komal Singh which was later found baseless and was used as a cover up for a mid-air brawl wherein the air hostess refused to obey the captain’s instructions to leave the cockpit. Later, when a committee was setup and the charges investigated, the pilots were given clean chit.
These and many other cases have time and again pressed upon the need to protect men in workplaces.
Men’s rights organizations had vehemently protested against the gender biased and anti-male “Sexual Harassment at Workplace Law” and mooted it to be made gender neutral allowing men to complain as well. Based on their presentations, even the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel Law and Affairs had recommended the law be made “gender neutral”. However, Government of India brushed aside the recommendations and passed a law that neither protected men nor innocents.
As a result, we started seeing a number of false cases and men losing their jobs as well.
While these male pilots were presented as “risking the lives of passengers” as they seem to be violating SOP to avoid false harassment charges levelled against them, however, the fact is that it’s not the male pilots who are to be held responsible.
It’s the society, the Govt. and the Corporates to be held responsible as their insensitive attitude towards men and their problems have led the men to resort to violating policies.
It will be but natural for men to devise protective measures for themselves if,
- The Govt. that they elect
- The society that they live in, and
- The Corporations they work for,
Refuse to protect the men. It will be grossly unfair to sideline and corner men and still expect them to behave as if nothing has happened and brush under the carpet, the silent suffering of millions of men.
This step by the male pilots, should act as an awakening call for companies to sensitize themselves towards men and their issues. It’s time companies open their minds to the problems of the male world and provide a semblance of grievance mechanism to men for their workplace woes.
There have been many instances wherein women have made unwelcome advances towards men and in such cases, the victimized men do not have any option of any relief as mostly companies do not entertain complaints from men in this regard. This reminds us of the famous case of IBM employee who had complained against his abusive female boss, was fired for making the complaint.
With such callous behavior of companies towards their male employees, who form almost 70% of the workforce, it’s no wonder that men are resorting to self-designed protective measures. And still if companies show reluctance in protecting the rights and interests of their male employees, its productivity for sure that will be taking the hit.
It’s up to the companies to decide their future course of action. They can continue to antagonize and corner men risking productivity and safety factors or get themselves trained to be sensitive to men.
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