The Government of India vide order dated 24.10.2018 constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the legal and institutional frameworks to deal with sexual harassment at workplace. Subsequent to the formation of the new government following the general election to the Lok Sabha, the Government of India has re-constituted the GoM. In the year 2017, MWCD launched an online complaint management system titled ‘Sexual Harassment electronic Box or SHe-Box (www.shebox.nic.in)’ for registering complaints related to sexual harassment of women at workplace. SHe-Box is an effort of Government of India to provide a single window access to every woman, irrespective of her work status, whether working in organised or unorganised, private and public sector, including Central/ State Ministries and districts, to facilitate the registration of complaint related to sexual harassment at workplace and for their speedy disposal. Those women who have already filed their complaints with the concerned committees constituted under The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 [SH Act], are also eligible to file their complaints over SHe-Box.
Inclusion in annual reports of the number of cases filed, if any, under the SH Act, and their disposal by the organizations by whom such reports are required to be prepared, is mandatory under Section 22 of the SH Act. Further, in response to the request of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of the Government of India has amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 vide their notification dated 31st July, 2018 so as to make the inclusion in the report of the Board of Directors of a statement that the company has complied with provisions relating to constitution of Internal Committee under the SH Act, mandatory under Rule 8(5)(x) of these rules.
The total number of complaints received through SHe-Box is 612 which includes 196 from Central Government, 103 from State Government and 313 from Private organizations.
The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India has constituted a GoM to examine the legal and institutional frameworks to deal with sexual harassment at workplace. The Government of India endeavours to provide protection against sexual harassment of women at workplace and for the prevention and redressal of complaints by women of sexual harassment and related matters at workplace effectively.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
***
MM/SB