Federal Ombudsperson imposes Rs500,000 fine for gender-based harassment of female employee

ISLAMABAD, Jul 15 (APP): The Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) has imposed a Rs500,000 fine on an employee for subjecting a female colleague to gender-based harassment through a sustained online campaign of humiliation and ridicule stemming from a workplace rivalry.

According to the decision issued on Wednesday, the respondent conducted a coordinated campaign against the complainant by publishing multiple derogatory messages online.

The respondent repeatedly used insulting and demeaning expressions and even fabricated the title of a fictitious book, along with false authorship and publication details, in an attempt to publicly mock and discredit the complainant.

The judgment noted that the complainant’s inability to have children was deliberately exploited as a means of humiliation.

 The respondent repeatedly compared her to the transgender community in a derogatory manner, which the Ombudsperson identified as the central documentary evidence of the campaign against the complainant.

The decision clarified that the mere use of ethnic or linguistic references does not, by itself, amount to harassment. However, it held that the respondent intentionally employed gender-based derogatory language as a weapon against an identified workplace rival, reflecting the discriminatory mindset defined under Section 2(h) of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act.

The Ombudsperson further observed that using terms associated with transgender identity as insults is not merely offensive language but reinforces harmful stereotypes and reflects discriminatory attitudes towards one of society’s most vulnerable and historically marginalized communities. Such conduct, the decision stated, has no place in a professional work environment.

The ruling also found that the respondent’s conduct undermined the complainant’s dignity, confidence and autonomy, resulting in a hostile and unconducive workplace environment.

It further observed that discriminatory conduct targeting women in prominent or leadership positions extends beyond the individual complainant and discourages women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles.

In view of these findings and exercising powers under Section 4(4)(ii)(e) of the Act, the Federal Ombudsperson imposed a Rs500,000 penalty on the respondent. Of the total amount, Rs400,000 has been awarded to the complainant as compensation for the harm caused to her dignity and humiliation, while the remaining Rs100,000 has been ordered to be deposited into the national exchequer.