Silence is not neutrality. It is a choice.

It was not the first offence by Monojit Mishra. It was not the first offence by cinematographer Pratik Shah. It was not the first offence by Neil Gaiman. It was certainly not the first offence by Harvey Weinstein.

People knew. The organisation knew. Their behaviour was not a secret.

It was known, whispered about, and normalised. And yet, no one in a position of leadership acted decisively. Why?

Because the position of the perpetrator served the organisation. It served the institution. 

It is in such moments that silence is no longer neutral - it becomes complicity.

In this edition of #todayinposh, I want to talk about the culture of silence and how it protects the perpetrator. 

In many of the workshops I’ve conducted, a common question that surfaces is, “Why didn’t the woman speak up?”

What many fail to understand is that women do speak up. They do raise concerns. They do come forward. Only to be met with responses such as:

• Ignore him, he’s just like that.
• He doesn’t mean any harm.
• It’s harmless, don’t let it distract you. Focus on your work.

Or worse, they are met with silence. This silence is not accidental. It is systemic. It is cultural.

I’ve often talked about the importance of organisational culture. Culture is not built through a perfectly worded POSH policy or zero-tolerance posters. Culture is built through our everyday responses. It is built through who we protect, who we believe, and who we silence.

A robust POSH policy may exist. But it becomes meaningless if the culture quietly protects the powerful while isolating the vulnerable. When women do not report, it is not because they lack courage. It is because they know or have learned through experience that the system is more likely to shield the perpetrator than support the survivor.

These perpetrators are not just individuals acting in isolation. They are shaped and protected by the very systems around them. When their behaviours are dismissed, ignored, or considered “not serious enough” to warrant disciplinary action, it sends a clear message: their conduct is tolerated.

So the question for leadership should not be, “Why are they speaking up now?” 

The real question is, "What took them so long to feel safe enough to come forward?"

What Can Leaders Do?

• Create Psychological Safety, Not Just Legal Compliance - Ensure that employees feel safe speaking up without fear of retaliation or being disbelieved. This goes beyond setting up an IC. It’s about trust, empathy, and active listening.
• Respond to Early Warnings - Sexual misconduct rarely starts with something extreme. It builds. Microaggressions, sexist jokes, and boundary violations are often early signs. If we downplay these, we enable escalation.
• Be Transparent and Consistent in Action - Address complaints with clarity and consistency, regardless of the individual’s seniority or “value” to the organisation. A top performer is not above the code of conduct.
• Leadership should be involved in POSH Awareness Initiatives - When leaders actively participate in POSH trainings or town halls, it signals commitment. It breaks the impression that this is just a tick-box compliance exercise for HR.
• Examine Organisational Narratives - How do we talk about women, power, and success in our organisation? Are we reinforcing harmful gender norms in subtle ways? Language reflects culture. Start noticing it.

Leadership is not only about driving results, it is about shaping values, behaviour, and trust. The legacy of your leadership will not be measured only by growth numbers or profits, but by how safe your people felt under your watch.

Incidents like the Kolkata Law College rape case must serve as a critical reflection point for all organisations.

Organisations need to introspect: Are we missing the signals? 

Because the truth is - the signals are always there.