LEGISLATORS in the National Assembly deserve a pat on the back for their unanimous approval of a bill criminalising harassment of women. The bill has yet to become a law, since it would be presented in the Senate for its nod as well, but hopefully it will have smooth sailing there. Once a taboo subject, it is quite reassuring to know that now such issues are being raised and discussed by our leaders at the countrys highest political forum, the National Assembly. A good step has been taken in terms of protecting the rights of women in Pakistan, particularly the emancipation of working class women. The bill aims to provide a protective and safe environment to the womenfolk at work places, as violation of the code would invoke punishments befitting the nature of the offence. The need for this bill was felt because of the prevailing unchecked phenomenon of harassment in its various forms and manifestations. It is an open secret that women in our social milieu are victims of at times inhuman and discriminatory customs. Their participation in different walks of life is threatened because of this evil. Women, constituting more than 50 percent of the countrys population, form an indispensable part of the countrys human capital. They have to confine themselves to their homes on account of the chauvinistic mindset out there. Hopefully, with the bill becoming law they would be able to venture out, with a sense of security, and participate in fields of life they wish to choose.