Lok Sabha Question No. 398 (STARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: SHe-Box
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar, Shantanu Thakur

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.398 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020

## SHE-BOX

- 398*.  SHRI RANJEET SINGH HINDURAO NAIK NIMBALKAR: SHRI SHANTANU THAKUR:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Ministry  has  linked  SHe-Box  to  all  the  Central  Ministries  and departments  under  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at  Workplace  (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013;
- (b) if  so,  whether  as  a  result  thereof,  the  number  of  cases  of  sexual  harassment have declined;
- (c) whether it has helped the Government in improving the participation of women in the workforce; and
- (d) whether the private sector has also been covered under this provision and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a) to (d):   A statement is laid before the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (d)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  398  FOR  20.03.2020  ASKED  BY  SHRI RANJEETSINGH  HINDURAO  NAIK  NIMBALKAR  AND  SHRI  SHANTANU

THAKUR REGARDING SHe-Box (a) to (d): In  order  to  ensure  the  effective  implementation  of  the  Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act  (the  SH  Act),  2013,  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has developed an online complaint  management  system titled the Sexual Harassment  electronic-Box  (SHe-Box)  for  registering  complaints  related  to sexual harassment of women at workplace. The portal  was  developed  to provide  a  platform  to  women working  or visiting  any  office  of  Central  Government  (Central  Ministries,  Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Institutions etc.), State Government  or  private  organisation  to  file  complaints  related  to  sexual harassment at workplace under the SH Act. Those who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned  Internal Committee  (IC)  or Local Committee  (LC)  constituted  under  the  SH  Act  are  also  eligible  to  file  their complaints through this portal. The  mechanism  of  the  portal  is  such  that  all  the  Central  Ministries/ Departments' ICs have inbuilt accounts within the SHe-Box. Once a complaint is submitted to the 'SHe-Box', it lands automatically into the account of the IC of the concerned Ministry/Department having jurisdiction to take action into the matter. With  regard  to  complaints  related  to  State  Department(s)  and  private organisations,  all  such  complaints  land  automatically  into  the  account  of District  Officer/District  Nodal  Officer  designated/appointed  in  the  concerned district who forwards such complaint to the Internal Committee/Local Committee of the concerned office/district to take action into the matter. Economic independence is one of the key aspects towards improving the  position  of  women  within  the  family  and  in  the  society.  Amongst  others, this would entail not only increasing their presence in the work force but, more importantly, creating an enabling environment at workplace so that more and more women could join the workforce. As  per  National  Crime  Records  Bureau  data,  in  the  year  2017,  479 cases of sexual harassment of women at  work or office premises had been recorded whereas  in  2018,  401  cases have  been  recorded  of sexual harassment of women at work or office premises.

*****