<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">On 18-Mar-2016, at 12:15 PM, Padmini <<a href="mailto:pdmnbaruah@gmail.com" class="">pdmnbaruah@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class="">PFA my public statement in this respect. It is a repeated plea to the Board of ICANN as well as the Community to clarify the timeline as to the development of the sexual harassment policy in this regard, as well as to reaffirm a commitment towards the development of strong, continued gender sensitisation.</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></blockquote></div><br class=""><div class="">Hi Padmini</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I will only say - and I say this in my personal capacity and not having attended a single ICANN meeting, but having been on the management boards of other conferences in the past - </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">1. Assuming the statements you made of harassment are true [please bear with me for this qualification - not that I doubt you but I have zero first hand knowledge of this issue] - the conduct in question has to be unequivocally condemned and other steps taken to ensure that such harassment is met with appropriate consequences.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">2. It would be far better for the ombudsman’s office - in consultation with the board - to have handled the matter apporpirately as soon as it was brought to their attention. Hotel venues typically have cctv cameras which can be used in evidence, whether or not there were any other witnesses to the matter.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">3. While I am all for diversity - I would not say that a committee lacks standing to investigate such an issue just because of its lack of diversity. Sexual harassment is condemnable - and in its various degrees, criminal, the world over, so that there are very few “cultural” justifications to it. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">4. The remarks that were allegedly passed have not (from a quick skim of the documents) been mentioned here so I am unable to judge whether they were tasteless (and deserve a reprimand and, for example, a public apology, besides any other consequences that ICANN policy dictates) or whether they crossed the border into outright sexual harassment (in which case law enforcement should be involved).</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Having and rigidly enforcing a policy against harassment based on gender, age, culture or any other [ism] is absolutely essential - without fear or favor, regardless of the position of the individual(s) responsible.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">thanks</div><div class="">—srs</div></body></html>