Cooperative dept staff’s ‘pink protest’ amid gender insensitive remarks stir

Jaipur: Employees of the state cooperative department have initiated the ‘Pink for Respect’ campaign, days after women staff alleged that they were subjected to gender-insensitive comments at the workplace by a senior official. The campaign encourages employees to wear pink attire to work as a form of protest.

A letter issued by the Association of Rajasthan Cooperative Subordinate Services (ARCSS) Monday mentioned that during a video conference held on May 6, certain remarks were made regarding sensitive provisions for women, such as maternity leave, child care leave and abortion leave, which deeply hurt various sections of society, including the female employees within the department.

“We want to prove that demanding respect is not wrong. This is not a campaign for any specific organisation but against a mindset of the society,” said an official, on condition of anonymity.

Sumitra Chaudhary, president of ARCSS, said, “The organisation wishes to clarify that this campaign is not an opposition to a new attendance system introduced in the department. This campaign serves solely as a symbol of the sentiment that women’s contributions, dignity and the need for sensitivity in the workplace must be recognised and treated with due seriousness.”

The association further said, “This campaign is not directed against any specific individual; rather, it stands in support of a positive social message: that women are deserving of respect, entitled to sensitive treatment, and that their dignity transcends any administrative system.”

All employees, irrespective of gender, have expressed their support for this campaign by wearing pink attire to work, the association said.

“This campaign is entirely distinct from any form of work boycott, strike, disruption or violation of conduct rules. It is, rather, a symbolic endeavour to respectfully acknowledge women’s self-respect, their dignity in the workplace, and their dual contributions, balancing responsibilities both at home and at work,” states the letter.

Departmental employees said that with this campaign, they want to give a message that respect in the workplace is not a “favour, but a fundamental right.”