Govt Strengthens Women’s Workplace Safety with SH Act and Launch of SHe-Box Portal

The SH Act provides protection to women across all sectors and mandates preventive and redressal mechanisms for workplace sexual harassment.

Comprehensive Legal Framework and New Digital Platform Enhance Protection Against Workplace Harassment

Ensuring the safety and security of women remains a top priority for the Government of India, demonstrated by the enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (SH Act) and the recent launch of the SHe-Box portal. The SH Act provides protection to women across all sectors and mandates preventive and redressal mechanisms for workplace sexual harassment.

The SH Act applies universally, covering women of all ages, employment statuses, and workplace types, including public and private sectors, as well as organized and unorganized setups in both urban and rural areas. Employers are legally bound to create a safe and secure work environment by:

Constituting Internal Committees (ICs): For organizations with more than 10 employees.

Establishing Local Committees (LCs): By the appropriate government for organizations with fewer than 10 workers or where complaints are against the employer.

Employers who fail to comply with the Act face strict penalties, as outlined in its provisions.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), the nodal ministry overseeing the Act’s implementation, has been conducting workshops, issuing advisories, and running awareness campaigns to sensitize employers and employees.

Introduction of SHe-Box Portal

To streamline the redressal process and centralize complaint tracking, the MWCD recently launched the SHe-Box portal, which went live on October 19, 2024, after onboarding the majority of Central Ministries and Departments. Since its activation, the platform has received nine complaints and aims to become a central repository for data related to ICs, LCs, complaints, and their resolution status.

The SHe-Box portal was designed to align with the SH Act's provisions, which mandate a 90-day inquiry timeframe for resolving complaints.

Enhancing Accountability and Transparency

Previously, no centralized system existed for maintaining data on ICs, LCs, and complaints. The SHe-Box now addresses this gap by:

• Recording the number of complaints received and their resolution status.
• Facilitating oversight for state and union territory-level workplaces in both public and private sectors.

Impact and Future Directions

During her statement in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur highlighted the significance of the SH Act and SHe-Box portal in improving women’s workplace safety. She also emphasized the government’s continued commitment to fostering a harassment-free work environment through ongoing monitoring, sensitization programs, and collaborations with state governments.

Employers and government bodies are encouraged to expedite the onboarding of all workplaces to the SHe-Box platform, ensuring greater access for women to lodge complaints and seek redressal. This initiative marks a pivotal step towards ensuring gender equality and workplace security in India.