The Government has enacted ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act) which aims to provide protection to women against sexual harassment at workplace and for the prevention and redressal of complaints related to it for all women, irrespective of their age, employment status or nature of work whether working in public or private, organized or unorganized sector.. The Act entrusts respective ‘appropriate Governments’ with the responsibility of monitoring implementation of the Act as well as for maintaining data on the number of cases filed and disposed of in respect of all cases of sexual harassment of women at workplace. As per the Act, the Appropriate Government in relation to those workplaces which are established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the Central Government or a Union Territory Administration, is Central Government and in relation to workplaces which are established, owned, controlled or wholly or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by any State Government, the appropriate Government is that State Government. Further, in relation to any other workplace falling within its territory, the appropriate Government is also that State Government.

However, to facilitate lodging of complaints under the Act, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has developed an online complaint portal titled Sexual Harassment Electronic Box (SHe-Box) to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment of women at work place. Once a complaint is registered in the SHe-Box, it directly reaches the concerned authorities having jurisdiction to take action in the matter. The responsibility to take action on such complaints as well as to ensure updating of status in that regard on SHe Box, is with the concerned authorities. State/ UT-wise details of number of sexual harassment complaints received in respect of workplaces in Private sector / State Government / UT Administrations on SHe-Box since its inception is at Annexure.

MWCD has issued advisories to States/ UTs and the Central Ministries/ Departments from time to time for strict implementation of the Act so as to create women friendly work environment

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 

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Annexure

 

State/UT-wise number of complaints relating to private sector/ State Governments/ UT Administrations registered over SHe-Box and recorded as disposed by the concerned authorities in respective State Governments/ UT Administrations since inception of SHe-Box:

 

 

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