New Delhi, Feb 5: The Government of India enacted ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act) with the aim to provide safe and secure work environment to women working in organised or unorganised sector.
The Act casts an obligation to constitute Internal Committee (IC) and Local Committees (LCs) for receiving complaints of sexual harassment at workplace.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has developed a handbook and a training module for effective implementation and awareness of the SH Act.
In addition, government issues advisories from time to time to all State Governments and UT Administrations, Ministries and Departments of Government of India and business associations and Chambers to ensure effective implementation of the Act.
Further, an online complaint management system titled the Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box, www.shebox.nic.in) has been put in place for registering complaints related to sexual harassment of women at workplace.
The Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India has also issued advisories to all the Central Ministries and Departments to complete the inquiry in a time bound manner and to include the information related to number of cases filed and disposed under the SH Act in their annual report.
Apart from this, on 31st July 2018, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 for mandatory inclusion of a statement in the Report of the Board of Directors about compliance with the provisions relating to the constitution of IC under the SH Act .
The Scheme for setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country to help adjudicate cases of Rape, and offences pending for trial under POCSO ct has also been appraised for assisting States and UTs.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Shri Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
