GUWAHATI, May 26 - The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday sought feedback from a Guwahati-based news channel for allegedly sacking an employee on account of pregnancy.
While condemning the �insensitive attitude� of the channel towards its pregnant employee, the Commission also said it was perturbed by the violation of provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
�Of all the rights of women, one of the rights is motherhood; however, a recent incident from Assam exposes the double-standards of an organisation towards its pregnant employees. The National Commission for Women has come across a media report on May 22 titled Indian Journalists Union criticizes Prag News for sacking pregnant journalist, wherein it was reported that a pregnant senior journalist was forced to resign from the organisation,� the NCW said in a statement.
�The report said that the woman�s pregnancy restricted her agility and Prag News required only agile persons as reporters in its organisation. The Guwahati-based channel blatantly refused salary to the woman journalist and asked her to put down her papers,� the Commission further stated.
The incident has also elicited sharp reaction from various journalist unions, women�s rights groups and other civil society organisations of Assam who have demanded justice for the woman journalist and her reinstatement in the job with full maternity benefits.
